R:Base : An operational Data Base                 Adrian Stead
                                       Oxley Secondary College

Introduction

This paper is written in conjunction with a presentation given at the QSITE conference
September 30 1994. The presentation was given with the assistance of Mr Tony Luck, the
managing director of MicroRim Australia, the developers and distributors of R:Base.
In this paper I address the structure and nature of R:Base, and its role in the Senior
Computing Subjects at Oxley Secondary College. I will also elude to some of the reason
we chose R:Base as the medium for studies in databases.

Background

Oxley Secondary College is located in the South-Western suburbs of Brisbane. Our
students come from a wide geographic and socio-economic range. The secondary college
structure of courses and daily routine attracts students whose education has been both
continuous and those whose education has been broken at some stage. Students entering
the College at year 11 or year 12 may therefore be new students. Prior learning can not
be assumed across the curriculum, in particular computing subjects. 

A significant number of our computing students have had little or no exposure to
computers, while others are quite proficient in many areas. This disparity has to be
addressed and the use of R:Base in our Practical Computer Methods and Information
Processing and Technology courses has fitted extremely well.

R:Base the Product

R:Base is a product of MicroRim, a U.S.A. based company with a division here in
Brisbane. R:Base is a relational data base, that is, it can accept information to be stored
in multiple tables, each describing an interrelated section of the overall Universe of
Discourse. A simple example of a relational data base is that for a small retail business;
one table records data about the customers, another for data on suppliers and a third for
data on the stock held. By interrelating the tables, information can be extracted linking
all three tables together:- the name and address of the suppliers of a piece of stock
bought by a particular customer. The information lies in separate tables but is connected
by the stock item purchased.

Having designed a data base, the transcribing of the data base to a machine becomes a
relatively simple procedure. All functions are accessed by pop-up sub-menus coming from
the main menu bar. The development of the data base is sequential; introduce the tables
with explanation comments, design of the forms used to introduce data into the tables,
Forms are produced by selecting the required table, its fields, and arranging the lay-out. 

Having produced the forms, the reports are developed. These are similar in nature to
the forms but used to output information. Their design and construction is similar to that
of the forms; you are prompted for the fields of data and then rearrange their layout to
suit the desired outcome.

A series of reports can be generated by combining several tables together, this is usually
done through views and saved as queries. These queries are then drawn into the reports. 

The most impressive aspect of R:Base is its the application generator. Here operational
front end menus, including Help screens are constructed. The process simply requires the
nomination of options from a list. A menu framework is developed using pop-up or pull-
down menus running from a main menu. The Help screens are typed at the prompt.

As a final bonus, the package offers a start-up file. The start-up program allows the
operator to access the operational data base without having to go through a series of
mechanical procedures.

In a short period of time a fully operational relational data base has been produced. No
code has been written, all decisions have been made by choices on drop-down menus. In
the production process language is minimised, few blocks of text are used which I feel
improves the package with students weak in reading skills or with language restrictions.

R:Base contains a very functional personal tutor. This tutorial is made up of three basic
lessons, dealing with the basic elements of the package and several advanced lessons.
Each lesson is self contained, dealing with a set of issues. I have used these tutorials a
number of times with students, having significant success, particularly with N.E.S.B.
students.

R:Base does not require Windows to operate but should the need arise can successfully
operate in split screen mode with another programs under Windows. This is useful when
writing about a data base as the data base and the word processor can be viewed
simultaneously.

R:Base the tool

Information Processing & Technology :
I have used R:Base with the year 12 I.P.T. students as the medium for their Information
Systems major project. The main idea with the project is to be able to plan and design
the project, not to spend time making the software operate. I was looking for a data base
which did not require operational code to be written, yet was versatile and powerful. 

R:Base offered the options I sought; design expertise needed to inter-relate the tables
and draw queries, but with a simple applications generator to write operational code and
a powerful user interface. 

Students each take the tutorials to become familiar with the package, then design a
simple data base to consolidate their new skills. Their major project data base is
subsequently designed using established steps; NIAM procedures, conceptual schema and
writing queries. Their design is then transfered to R:Base. 

To date the students have managed the package with ease and confidence in producing
data bases of significant complexity.

Topics covered to date range from text book management systems through stock control
system for a small electrical businesses to a package for managing a horse stud.

Practical Computer Methods :
Our P.C.M. students use R:Base as part of their year 11 and year 12 courses. In year 11
the students do the tutorials after having brief instruction on data bases and their
practical applications. They then use R:Base to produce a simple one table data base
with several queries to experience the process. Students design a FORM, several
REPORTS and link these to the queries. The example used is an Address Book, with
addresses and telephone numbers, the operator can access from names or numbers or
addresses all of the information contained. Should students be more interested at this
stage they can proceed to more challenging tasks.

Several year 12 P.C.M. students have chosen R:Base as a focus of their Major Projects.
In these cases, students have designed and produced operational data bases which reflect
real world situations. One example was a Child Care Centre; with child information
(including emergency information accessed quickly), parent information, together with
staff and supplier information. Other examples to date have covered a Motor Repairer,
an Insurance Broker and small Retail Shopkeepers.

As mentioned earlier, I have used R:Base with N.E.S.B. students and found the tutorials
taxing but achievable for those students. A small amount of supplementary help is
needed. These students went on to be able to operate R:Base effectively in the final
stages of the project.

R:Base in Summary

R:Base is a data base which is not dependant on a Windows environment but behaves
similarly to those which do require one. R:Base will function in split screen mode with
other programs (like Word) under a Windows environment, making it a versatile
program. 

Students from diverse backgrounds have all used the package with varying degrees of
success. One year 12 student was able to reference R:Base at a job interview and secured
the position in some part due to her understanding of the package in her major project.

I have found R:Base a successful teaching medium, from simple single table data bases
through to complex multi-tabled data bases with sophisticated queries. The operation of
R:Base is relatively language free making it particularly useful with N.E.S.B. operators.
(It was even easy to inservice my Computing colleagues).

My relationship with MicroRim Australia has been excellent, Tony has solved several of
my problems and I am able to recommend his organisation highly. 

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