[Offer] Gupta SQLWindows 1.3.1

callmejack

One of the very early SQL implementation on Windows from Gupta.
Floppy dumps in IMZ format

https://mega.nz/file/mbhS2a5Z#_T6eh2HiGaMiR6saUDrzDNAj14HXGHxZXnyAef6Q4SE

ibmpc5150

Wow thanks for uploade rare SQL program.

SomeGuy

Very nice! Any chance of getting manual scans eventually?

DeFacto

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. It seems a sort of precursor product to this by Gupta called SQL Base supported creating Windows 1.0x applications even.

https://books.google.si/books?id=SjwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10&dq=windows+application&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7kfK844bhAhXOqIsKHSTJBlYQ6AEILTAB#v=onepage&q=windows application&f=false

02k-guy

Umang Gupta was the transformational force in database capabilities.

callmejack

Very nice! Any chance of getting manual scans eventually?

It’s going to be a lot of work, the documentation is extensive. I don’t know if I will have the time to do it

SomeGuy

What kind of scanner do you have?

Those are 3-ring binders, so at least no need to destroy a bound spine. I'd be able to knock those out in about a day, including building PDFs, but I tend to do a lot more error checking than most people would.

I'm actually scanning a large and heavy set of manuals for Excel 2.2 Mac, and PageMaker 3.0 Mac today. Mine are spiral bound, which can also be easily pulled apart without destroying anything. I use a document scanner where I can put a brick of about 100 pages in (I don't bother with tab pages), press a single button, and it just sucks them in and spits out a set of TIF files.

For me the slow part is adjusting the brightness/darkness using ImageMagic, although I could probably optimize that batch file some more, as well as examining the PDFs to make sure Omnipage didn't rotate pages upside down or make other glitches.

At any rate, if you don't have a good document scanner then you might look around and see if you can find someone that has access to one, perhaps at an office, or library. If you want to save some time just by sending raw images rather than PDFs, I can do the remainder of the processing.

I'm just going on about this because on this vintage of software, especially for development tools, the bulk of knowledge on how to use this product is locked up in the manuals.

callmejack

@SomeGuy I have an all-in-one Brother printer/scanner with automatic sheet feeder but it’s not so reliable with A5 documents. I have to constantly monitor the scan and make sure pages don’t jam. It’s not impossible to do but it will take a few hours and I have so many other tasks on my todo list. I will put this project on the pile, that’s for sure.

I’m very conscious of the value of conserving and sharing all this material and my priority is now to preserve the magnetic media of the software in my collection, which is the most fragile. I already ‘lost’ the opportunity to preserve a full set of Lisa Office suite v1.1 in french on twiggy disks, as the disks are in too bad shape (presence of mould).

SomeGuy

Ok, sure, no hurry. I've already posted the disks: https://winworldpc.com/product/sqlwindows/1.3.x

For whatever it is worth, I use an Epson DS-510 document scanner, and have been very, very pleased with it.

"mold" might not be too much of a hindrance to someone with a high level of expertise and the right equipment (that would require an actual Twiggy, or a 1.2mb drive modified with a microstepping motor. stuff I don't have). So I'd at least hold on to those, keeping them in a cool dry place, just in case an opportunity might arise.

callmejack

@SomeGuy Here is the scan of the manuals

https://mega.nz/file/PH4AHKQD#jj5RLwMJzBpqB7Qt_MhGv85vzUSuT5Rvow_NpN8dqzY