Hot News From Stonefield!

New Versions Available!

Version 2.6 of both Stonefield Data Dictionary and Stonefield AppMaker are
now available. (In case you're wondering, we changed the version number
from 2.3 to 2.6 to bring it up to the same version number as FoxPro). The
major new features in these tools are outlined below.

Stonefield AppMaker

We've added a ton of new features to Stonefield AppMaker, including many of
the specialized user interfaces your users are asking for. Here are some
of the new features:

* You can now create tabbed screen sets. The screens that make up the set
appear as tabbed pages in a single form rather than separate windows.
Stonefield AppMaker supports Steven Black's TABS driver to make this
process quick and

* Integrating browses with READ windows has always been a lot of work. Now,
with the help of the INBROWSE driver, Stonefield AppMaker makes this
process much simpler than before. Creating a browse window imbedded in a
data entry screen is as simple as drawing a box on the screen and entering
directives which specify how the browse should look.

* PhDbase from Korenthal Associates is now supported in Stonefield AppMaker
(see the article on PhDbase in this issue).

* Stonefield AppMaker now has another way to manage parent-child data:
using a list box of child records within the parent window. Simply add a
list box to the screen, enter directives specifying the name of the child
table and information to display, and GEN-SHELL generates the code to fill
the list, refresh it when the parent changes, and call a child-editing
module when the user choses a record from the list.

* Two new functions have been added to the Application pad: Modify and
Application Manager. Modify opens the project for the current application
directory without having to type MODIFY PROJECT <NAME>.

With version 2.6 of Stonefield AppMaker, you can create applications even
faster an add the new interface features your users want!

Application Manager displays a dialog in which you can select the
application to work on and make its directory the current one. When you
create a new application, its name and directory are automatically
registered in the manager. However, you can add other project names to the
manager whenever you wish.

* New custom startup and exit hooks have been added. PREOPEN is executed
just before opening the application's data files. This can be used to
initialize memory variables needed for directory paths, automatic filters,
etc. CUSTEXIT is executed just before cleaning things up and exiting the
application.

* Version 2.6 has a new MERGE module for creating mail merge files for
WordPerfect and Microsoft Word.

* The Report Definition screen now supports Suppress Repeated Values and a
complete list of subtotal and total calculation options for numeric
fields.

* You can now define report groups. For example, you can create report
groups like "Management Reports", "Monthly Reports", etc. so the user only
sees the reports they want.

* The Customize screen now allows the user to choose whether they want to
confirm when the Exit function is chosen.

* Lots of little tweaks and bug fixes have been done. For example, the Find
function now handles calculated fields in the list expression for the
table. And you can now create modules that don't use a tool bar.

With version 2.6 of Stonefield AppMaker, you can create applications
even faster and now add the new interface features your users want!

Stonefield Data Dictionary

Stonefield Data Dictionary was almost perfect so there wasn't much to do
<g>, but we've added a few new goodies we know you 11 like:

* Updating a project from the Maintain Fields screen will now automatically
blank the TIMESTAMP for screens that reference the table. This allows you
to make changes to the data dictionary (even non-structural changes such
as PICTURE) and automatically force a regeneration of the appropriate
screens the next time you rebuild the project.

* A new "Choose from list" operator was added to GETFILT. This operator
creates a unique list of values from the chosen field and displays them in
a dialog, from which the user can select as many as they wish.

* GETFILT also supports a new Filter setting for fields; only fields that
have this set to .T. are included in the list of fields to select from.

* We've increased the size of _Library to 9,999 fields. Updates
from_Library no longer overwrite attributes for a field that are blank
in_Library.

* The full-text description for fields and the title for list expressions
was increased to 40 characters.

* Print and Preview buttons were added to the Relation Map screen.

* BROWSER and PICKLIST now accept an optional FOR condition and can display
a list from a cursor or temporary file.

* DD.PRG can now optionally update the master SCX from the data dictionary,
and can generate default PICTURE clauses if none are defined.

* FoxPro help is now available from the Dictionary pad or by pressing
Ctrl-F1.

* All known bugs have been fixed. For example, we've solved the problem
that caused the image of another window to be displayed in the file list
on the main screen.

Upgrade Pricing

The upgrade to version 2.6 of Stonefield Data Dictionary is just $39 U.S.

The upgrade for Stonefield AppMaker includes the upgrade for Stonefield
Data Dictionary, and is just $99 U.S. A new manual is included.

Call 1-800-563-1119 and order your upgrade today!
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Why You Need PhDbase

PhDbase is a text retrieval add-on for FoxPro that's getting rave reviews
from everyone who's seen it. If your users ever choose the Find function
provided in Stonefield AppMaker or you need
to find matches for search conditions from large databases in record time,
you need PhDbase.

In case you haven't seen the ads or review articles, here's a brief
run-down on what PhDbase can do for you:

* It has a blindingly fast search engine. A million memo fields can be
searched in under one second!

* Complex searches can be performed using a single function

* Searches can be boolean (and, or, not), proximity (one word near
another), wildcard, fuzzy (search for similarly spelled names with far
greater accuracy than Soundex), or phonetic (sounds like).

* PhDbase creates small indexes (typically 10% of the data size) very
quickly (multi-megabyte files are indexed in just minutes), and updates
them transparently when a record is modified.

* Results can be returned in order of likelihood.

* Common words are automatically eliminated for faster, smaller indexes.
Word exclusion lists are also supported.

* Search results can be placed in a table, a cursor, an array, or even a
"hits" cursor.

* You can use English-like search syntax or SQL syntax for searching.

* A built-in hypertext engine allows you to quickly jump between related
topics.

PhDbase comes with both DOS and Windows library files. Simply SET LIBRARY
TO PHDBASE and you're ready to create text search indexes on any table you
wish.

PhDBase is now supported in both Stonefield AppMaker and Stonefield Data
Dictionary. PhDbase is automatically loaded at the start of the
application, the Find function uses a PhdBase query instead of its own
search algorithm if possible, and the REINDEX module now recreates PhDbase
indexes.

PhDbase has a suggested retail price of $299.95, but if you order it from
Stonefield Systems Group, you can get it for just $279.95. PhDbase comes
with a 60-day money back guarantee and is royalty-free.

Order PhDbase today and wow your users with almost no effort!
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Visual FoxPro Update

Visual FoxPro provides something FoxPro developers have needed for years--a
builtin data dictionary. Visual FoxPro's data dictionary provides table
and field validation, field captions, triggers, even table and field
comments.

Unfortunately, many things are missing from the data dictionary, things
developers using our Stonefield Data Dictionary have enjoyed for years,
such as the ability to:

* create or update table structures at your client sites from the data
* recreate indexes;
* set up relationships between tables with a single function call;
* open all tables at the start of the application; and
* provide an end-user filter builder.

Stonefield Database Toolkit, the Visual FoxPro version of Stonefield Data
Dictionary, overcomes these limitations, and provides additional
functionality that serious application developers need!

For example, the Visual FoxPro data dictionary does not store structural
information: field and index information is still stored in the tables
themselves as it was in FoxPro 2.x. Stonefield Database Toolkit will add
structural information to the data dictionary so you can create tables and
indexes or update their structures whenever necessary.

Stonefield Database Toolkit will include other extensions to Visual
FoxPro's data dictionary, allowing you to define information such as
InputMasks (the Visual FoxPro term for PICTURE), autoincrementing
properties for any field, and more.

You will even be able to define your own custom properties whenever you
need to. Define security levels, usage information, captions in other
languages ... anything is possible. Get these values at runtime with a
single function call to create truly data-driven applications. Change the
property in one place, and every form, program, or report that uses it
changes instantly.

Stonefield Database Toolkit will be Codebook Compliant. A consortium of
developers, including Flash Creative Management (the FoxPro Codebook),
MicroMega (FoxFire!), Neon Software (FoxExpress), and Cascade Interactive
Designs (CAPCON), announced this new program at the 1995 Microsoft FoxPro
Developer Conference. "Codebook Compliant" means developers of third-party
add-ons for Visual FoxPro agree to use a standard set of class libraries
and data dictionary extensions. Since all Codebook Compliant add-ons use
the same set of standards, you can mix and match the best features of any
set of products to come up with the feature set your application needs .

For example, Stonefield has always provided a routine to transfer the
information from Stonefield Data Dictionary into FoxFire!'s data
dictionary so you don't have to maintain two separate data dictionaries.
However, running that routine is a manual process. With Codebook Compliant
versions of our products, you'll be able to make a change in the data
dictionary from either product and have that change visible to the other
one automatically.

The target for availability of Stonefield Database Toolkit is two months
after Visual FoxPro ships, which as of today looks like the end of July
(our guess, not anything official from Microsoft). Look for a copy of Hot
News From Stonefield announcing the availability of Stonefield Database
Toolkit this fall!

We're also working on a Visual FoxPro version of Stonefield AppMaker. It's
a much larger tool so Visual AppMaker will take longer to develop; expect
to see it near the end of this year. It'll provide all the features
developers love in Stonefield AppMaker, plus new features that take
advantage of all that Visual FoxPro has to offer. Watch your mailbox for
further developments!
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Mac Version Ready!

The Macintosh version of Stonefield Data Dictionary is available now! This
version provides the same powerful advantages that our DOS and Windows
tool provides but for the Macintosh platform. The price for this version
is the same as the DOS and Windows version ($249), or can be purchased for
just $99 if you own another version of Stonefield Data Dictionary.

Stonefield Systems Group wants to hear your views on developing a Macintosh
version of Stonefield AppMaker. We'd like to schedule the products into
our plans if there's interest. Call and let us know what you think.

Stonefield Systems Group Inc.
2055 Albert Street, Suite 420
Regina, SK Canada S4P 2T8
800-563-1119,   Fax 306-586-5080
 
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