'OR'and 'AND'Queries Mac OS

In all cases, successive versions of Mac OS and Mac OSX have incorporated 'under the hood' changes such as improvedperformance and stability, bug fixes, and in later releases, increasedPowerPC nativity. In addition, the major releases included moreobvious changes as described below:

Find answers with millions of other Mac OS X v10.3 and earlier users in our vibrant community. Search discussions or ask a question about Mac OS X v10.3 and earlier. 4.1.2 on Mac OSX 10.7.5 and Mac OSX 10.11.1 tables: - Create Table in Design View: not working - Wizard: runs but the final window does not close (End key disabled), closes with button (X) - The newly created table and the existing ones do not open (double-click or right-click open).

Aqua is the name given to what most users think of when they think of Mac OS X: the user interface, the Finder, the Dock, the windows, the translucent buttons, the high-resolution icons, the menus, and all the rest. Many users may never explore Mac OS X beyond its Aqua layer. Let me preface this answer by saying I’m an old git - I was around when Windows was still 3.x (and before that actually) and I worked for companies where our core product ran on DOS and maximising the amount of available RAM was a key skill - this.

Mac OS 7.0.x (several releases) (1991)

• 32-bit addressing for access to more than 8 megabytesof RAM
• Support for virtual memory on those computers that canuse it
• Apple Events, a language used by applications to communicate witheach other
• The MultiFinder, renamed the Finder, improved andsimplified
• A Find utility incorporated into the Finder for locating files
• Ability to create aliases of items
• Ability to use File Sharing to share information between computerson a network
• Introduction of Balloon Help
• Introduction of Drag and Drop

Mac OS 7.1.x (several releases) (1992-1994)

• Introduction of WorldScript for improved multilingual support
• Fonts stored in their own Fonts folder rather thanwithin the System Folder
• Introduction of Thread Manager for improved multitasking

Mac OS 7.5.x (several releases) (1994-1996)

• 32-bit addressing always turned on
• Some user interface improvements such as a menu bar clock,WindowShade, hierarchical Apple menus, and Finder windows that becomeaccented when a file is dragged over them
• The AppleScript scripting language for automating tasks
• Improved Find File capability
• Apple Guide for improved help
• PC Exchange, which greatly simplifies working with DOSformatted disks
• Macintosh Easy Open to help open files for which the originalapplication is not available
• Introduction of Open Transport (7.5.2)
• Comments in Info windows not removed when the desktopis rebuilt (7.5.3)

Mac OS 7.6.x (two releases) (Spring 1997)

• Requires a 32-bit clean 68030 processor or better
• Support for MacTCP removed
• Many references to 'Macintosh' changed to 'Mac OS' in response tothe availability of Macintosh compatible clones

Mac OS 8.0 (Fall 1997)

• Requires a 68040 or PowerPC processor
• Numerous user interface improvements, including a revampedappearance, pop-up menus, custom folder views, desktop pictures,spring-loaded folders, contextual menus, sticky menus, andreorganized Finder menus; many of the control panels are reorganized,simplified, or incorporated into the Finder or System Folder
• Finder now multithreaded, allowing it to perform more than onetask at once (e.g., emptying the trash while moving a file)
• Internet setup assistant for simplifying the task ofsetting up an Internet connection

Mac OS 8.1 (Spring 1998)

• Includes support for the Macintosh Extended File Format(HFS+), which increases the minimum and maximum file sizes
• Support for DVD-ROM drives
• Support for Windows 95 long filenames

Mac OS 8.5.x (two releases) (Fall 1998)

• Requires a PowerPC processor
• Introduces Sherlock, a powerful volume and Internetsearching utility that replaces Find File
• AppleScript rewritten to be PowerPC native, greatly improvingperformance
• Ability to anti-alias all text on the screen
• Built-in application switcher and 'tear off' Application menu
• HTML-based help system
• Interface enhancements such as smart scrolling, resizable Findercolumns, 32-bit icons, icon tags, themes, and URL 'aliases'

Mac OS 8.6 (Spring 1999)

• Built-in nanokernel that improves performance and reduces CPUpower usage
• Newer computers (e.g., iMac, 'blue and white' PowerMacintosh G3/G4, 'bronze' PowerBook G3, iBook) have thecapability to boot off the network if an appropriate server ispresent.
• Game Sprockets included with the operating system (formerly aseparate install)
• Improvements to Sherlock, LaserWriter 8, DVD-RAM,FireWire, Speech Recognition, and other components

Mac OS 9.0.x (two releases) (Fall 1999)

• Support for multiple users, storing individual preferences foreach and with several levels of access
• Improved security with the Keychain (stores passwords),voiceprint authentication, and encrypted file transfers
• File sharing via TCP/IP with another Mac OS computerwithout the need for AppleShare IP
• Sherlock, dubbed Sherlock 2, updated for performance andcapability
• Ability to automatically download software updates from theInternet and install them
• Support for Carbon and Carbonized applications

Mac OS 9.1 (Spring 2001)

• Several changes for improved compatibility with Mac OSX, including a slightly reorganized folder structure, OS X-awareStartup Disk control panel
• USB printer sharing over TCP/IP
• Apple File Security increased to 128-bit encryption
• Finder shortcuts to empty the trash, add to favorites, and showfolder view options

Mac OS 9.2.x (three releases) (Fall 2001)

• Improved performance in the Classic environment of MacOS X

Mac OS X 10.0.x 'Cheetah' (four releases and numerous updates)(Spring 2001)

• Completely new operating system based on technologies acquiredfrom NeXT, Inc.; features include protected memory, preemptivemultitasking, multithreading, and symmetric multiprocessing
• Aqua, a new graphical user interface
• Darwin, the operating system's Unixfoundation; built on the Machmicrokernel
• Quartz, the PDF-based engine for renderingtwo-dimensional entities such as icons and windows
• Carbon, Cocoa, and Java, the three types of nativegraphical applications for Mac OS X

Mac OS X 10.1.x 'Puma' (five releases and numerous updates) (Fall2001)

• Improved performance, stability, and functionality
• Reintroduced missing OS 9 features: DVD playback, CDburning, AppleShare over AppleTalk, keyboard shortcuts fordisplay brightness and sound volume
• The ability to connect to WebDAV and Windows file servers

Mac OS X 10.2.x 'Jaguar' (eight releases and numerous updates)(Summer 2002)

Queries And Reports In Access

• Improved performance, stability, and functionality
• Quartz Extreme, which uses your video card to improve performanceof window moves, resizes, and the like; Quartz Extreme is notsupported on older computers.
• Reintroduced missing OS 9 features: universal access,spring-loaded folders, USB printer sharing, AirPort andAirport Extreme software base station
• Built-in support for connecting to VPN servers via PPTP
• Rendezvous, for accessing resources via TCP/IP withoutconfiguration
• Inkwell, handwriting recognition using a graphics tablet
• Sherlock enhanced and refocused as an online tool
• Find utility integrated into the Finder

Mac OS X 10.3.x 'Panther' (five releases and numerous updates)(Fall 2003)

• Improved performance, stability, and functionality
• Reintroduced missing OS 9 feature: labels
• Exposé, to easily navigate through a cluttered desktop bydisplaying open windows as selectable thumbnails
• Fast user switching, which allows for multiple accounts to belogged in at the same time
• FileVault, which encrypts the entire contents of home folders
• Built-in support for connecting to VPN servers viaIPsec
• Font Book, for improved font management
• Improved support and integration for sending and receiving faxes

Mac OS X 10.4.x 'Tiger' (Spring 2005)

• Unix-based architecture, for increased stability and security
• Spotlight, to instantly locate anything (e.g., images, emailmessages, applications) on your computer
• Dashboard, a readily accessible collection of mini-programs called'Widgets' that provide information about weather, stocks, and more
• Safari RSS, a new version of the popular webbrowser that includes a built-in RSS reader
• iChat AV, with the added ability to hold multi-party audio andvideo conferences
• Automator, to automate repetitive computing tasks withoutprogramming knowledge
• Mail, with integrated Spotlight searching and Smart Folders tohelp you manage your email

As Mac users confront the geeky realities associated with Unix as the core of Mac OS X, they may not be aware of their newly acquired capability to run powerful relational database software. In part one of this article, I discussed the basics of how relational databases work (see TidBITS-580). This week, I want to cover some commercial and open-source databases currently available for Mac OS X.

<https://tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06432>

As with last week’s release of FileMaker 5.5 with support for Mac OS X, most of the databases that run under the Classic Mac OS will be ported to Mac OS X. However, we’re also seeing an influx of newly available database programs. All of these databases have been around for years on different platforms; it’s only with Mac OS X that Mac users can finally run them.

Queries And Connection Excel

It’s worth noting that, for the first time, the Mac OS finally pulls even with, if not ahead of, Windows in terms of database power. Although the Macintosh world still lacks a friendly low-end SQL database like Microsoft Access, the quantity and quality of databases available for Mac OS X is incomparable, especially if Oracle climbs aboard.

Running Queries And Reports

Also keep in mind that none of these databases are meant to be used directly for day-to-day data entry and queries like FileMaker or 4D. MySQL and PostgreSQL are command-line driven databases, while FrontBase and OpenBase provide only rudimentary data input and retrieval interfaces. Instead, these back-end databases work behind the scenes and are meant to be coupled with some sort of front-end interface, be it a Web page or a desktop application.

MySQL — MySQL is the most popular open source database, and unlike many databases, MySQL will handle large bodies of text, making it suitable for Web publishing and messaging systems such as those found on Web forums. On the down side, MySQL doesn’t embrace ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability, as we learned in the first part of this article). Transaction support was added only recently, and it is rather bolted-on (MySQL transactions lock entire tables). ACID needs to be built in from the ground up. The lack of transaction support used to give MySQL a speed advantage, but PostgreSQL has been proven comparable to MySQL in many tasks.

<http://www.phpbuilder.com/columns/ tim20001112.php3>

Finally, although MySQL supports online backups, it locks the database from updates (though not read-only accesses) while performing the copy. Online backups enable you to back up your database while without having to shut it down entirely.

Bottom Line: MySQL is free and well suited for content-oriented systems, but for traditional business uses I’d go with PostgreSQL or FrontBase.

<http://www.mysql.com/>

PostgreSQL — PostgreSQL is probably the best open source database. It supports transactions, which makes it suitable for serious business use. It offers online backups, and unlike MySQL, will continue to process database updates during backups. PostgreSQL’s previous weakness of an 8K row-size limitation has mercifully gone away in version 7.1.

PostgreSQL still suffers from the need to 'VACUUM' the database routinely. VACUUM is a PostgreSQL-only, non-standard SQL command which generally cleans up a database. The VACUUM command can be time consuming (15 minutes is not uncommon), and locks out any use of the database while running. You also don’t have the option of simply letting the database get dirty – PostgreSQL will start failing mysteriously if you don’t VACUUM regularly. Different situations call for different VACUUM frequencies, but some folks perform the operation once a week, while others do it every hour.

Bottom Line: PostgreSQL is free and is the best open source database for running businesses on Mac OS X.

<http://www.postgresql.org/>

FrontBase — I really like FrontBase. Like PostgreSQL, it supports SQL92 (the latest version, circa 1992, of the international SQL standard). Each database resides in one file, making database file identification and transport a breeze. It supports online backups, clustering (the capability to have two or more machines share a database and hand off connections to one another, increasing reliability and speed), and offers raw disk support (bypassing file system overhead).

It strongly embraces ACID, requiring you commit almost every change to the database. It sports a graphical administration tool on Mac OS X and X Server, while the engine itself runs on many other operating systems (Windows NT/2000, Linux, LinuxPPC, etc.). It offers a Web-based administration tool as well. On Mac OS X, it uses the standard system Installer, which is graphical and friendly.

Unlike MySQL and PostgreSQL, FrontBase is not open source. However, there are two free FrontBase licenses. The first, the developer license, enables all of FrontBase’s features for six months (renewable), but doesn’t give you deployment rights, so you can’t let anyone else use your database. The second free license allows deployment but doesn’t allow hot backups, clustering, or external connections to the database (defined as remote connections over a network; CGI or WebObjects connections from the same machine are fine) . There’s a $999 license that allows external connections and hot backups, and a $3,499 license adds clustering.

FrontBase makes it easy to import your data, including instructions and tools to convert existing databases from FileMaker Pro, MySQL, OpenBase and Sybase. I can personally vouch that the FileMaker Pro tool works as advertised. With the converter, FrontBase plus WebObjects makes an attractive path for FileMaker Pro developers who need more power.

There are two drawbacks to FrontBase. The first is that you must enter a license number after installing the software. This isn’t bad in itself, however the license is tied to your machine’s IP address and won’t work with DHCP (which may provide your Mac with a different IP address on every restart). That can make it tricky to run FrontBase on a travelling PowerBook or a Mac on a DSL or cable modem connection that requires you to use DHCP.

A FrontBase representative informed me this is because Mac OS X Server doesn’t allow software to retrieve the computer’s Ethernet MAC address without running under the root account. Since FrontBase didn’t want to force their users to run FrontBase under root (a bad security idea), they went with what they could access: the IP address. The desktop version of Mac OS X changes that, and FrontBase will tie the license to the MAC address in the future.

FrontBase’s second drawback is that the company doesn’t offer on-site support. Although FrontBase requires little administration and their email support is quick and competent, this could be a deal breaker for some companies.

Bottom Line: FrontBase is the least expensive commercial high-end database for Mac OS X, but you can’t get on-site support.

<http://www.frontbase.com/>

OpenBase — OpenBase wins the user interface contest hands down. Its interface is elegant and beautiful, and it contains a reasonable modeling tool which graphically depicts how your database is structured. For example, it represents tables as rectangles and draws lines between them to illustrate their relationships.

OpenBase’s engine seems fast, modern, and powerful. Like FrontBase, OpenBase offers a free developer license and supports online backups. A $295 migration tool called ClickConvert helps move data from existing FileMaker Pro databases.

OpenBase’s beauty comes from Mac OS X’s Cocoa environment, which limits OpenBase’s platform support. It supports Mac OS X and X Server out of the box; however to run OpenBase under Solaris or Windows 2000, you first must purchase and install WebObjects (which brings the Cocoa frameworks along with it). Granted, WebObjects has fallen greatly in price recently, however it still adds $700 to OpenBase’s $2,000 price. OpenBase’s graphical interface is being rewritten in Java, so its future platform support should increase. Alas, technical support is only offered via email.

OpenBase is pricey, but there’s new hope for those with tight budgets. While we were preparing this article for publication, OpenBase introduced a new $499 license specifically for use with PHP, a popular tool for linking databases with Web sites. This lower price comes with two restrictions: no external connections (like FrontBase’s free deployment license) and no support for WebObjects (unlike FrontBase). However, it does allow online backups, a feature which starts at $999 for FrontBase.

Questions And Queries

Bottom Line: Ironically, the database with the highest starting price is the best for high-end relational database newbies. If you’re a highly paid consultant or need to get a database up quickly, OpenBase’s easy user interface may justify its high price.

<http://www.openbase.com/>

Oracle? There have been consistent rumors that Oracle will be ported to Mac OS X. Technically, I don’t see any reason they couldn’t do it. Oracle already runs on a couple flavors of Unix, and Larry Ellison sits on Apple’s board of directors.

Many people feel Oracle on Mac OS X will legitimize the platform, and there’s logic to that argument. Oracle is known for its power, flexibility and support. However, it is also extremely expensive and complicated, to the point where many people devote their careers to nothing but administrating Oracle databases.

<http://www.oracle.com/>

Excel Queries And Connections Errors

Making the Choice — For the budget minded, FrontBase’s free development and deployment licenses are tough to beat. If you can’t spare a dime, but require online backups, then PostgreSQL is your best choice (despite its less-friendly user interface). If elegance, ease of use or speed is important to you, I’d definitely recommend checking out OpenBase. Assuming it ends up being ported to Mac OS X, Oracle would make sense only if you’re developing a truly large, complex, or fast database with other peoples’ money.

Now that we’ve looked at what makes a relational database and some of the primary contenders, be sure to look for my upcoming article on a program that brings relational databases back into the forefront of computing: Apple’s powerful WebObjects.

[Jonathan 'Wolf' Rentzsch is the embodiment of Red Shed Software, and runs a monthly Mac programmer get-together in Northwest Illinois.]

'OR'and 'AND'Queries Mac OS