The real prize that persuaded Borland International Inc to buy Ashton Tate Corp was not the fading dBase product line but the InterBase relational database, and yesterday, the company brought Interbase into the fold with launch of Interbase server and Paradox SQL Link, which combined enable the first connection between InterBase and Paradox 4.0. As well as support for Paradox SQL Link, InterBase 3.3 adds new language driver technology for international usage and precompiler support for Fortran and Cobol. InterBase 3.3 and Paradox SQL Link for InterBase are set to be out by year-end. MS-DOS and Windows requesters supporting TCP/IP networks have been added to InterBase for third parties and developers interested in SQL access to InterBase. The extended character support being added to the InterBase kernel allows for local sorting, as well as SQL access of 8-bit international character sets. Cobol has been added specifically for Data General Corp AViiON, HP 9000/700, IBM Corp RS/6000 and Sparcsystem users, and Fortran for RS/6000 users. InterBase currently runs on most Unix machines and under VAX/VMS and versions for Solaris II and Alpha VMS are planned. Paradox 4.0 adds a Windows-like user interface to the MS-DOS relational database, power and performance gains, enhanced network performance and expanded Paradox Application Language; it includes Query By Example for fast interactive database querying and can also store and retrieve Binary Large Objects in memo fields. Paradox SQL Link provides automatic translation of Paradox QBE and menu commands to the appropriate dialect of SQL. Using Paradox SQL Link, native SQL statements can be embedded within programs written in the Application Language, and passed through to the database server. Upgrades to InterBase 3.3 are free for existing customers on support contracts. Paradox SQL Link for InterBase is $400 and requires Paradox 4.0, which costs $800. And to make clear that it is ready to unleash an Interbase onslaught, Borland appointed directors of Interbase operations in the UK for Northern and Germany for Southern and Eastern Europe, and one back home in Scotts Valley for the Pacific Rim.
