Software Reviews : DATAPLEX: THE COMPLETE DATA HANDLER Reviewed by G. David Garson,North Carolina State University Publisher: Tools and Techniques,Inc.,1620 W. 12th St.,Austin,TX 78703 (telephone: [phone]) Year of Publication: 1988 Version Reviewed: 2.0

Abstract

This data utility allows researchers to acquire, reformat, and transfer data among dBASE, LOTUS, SUPERCALC, PARADOX, R:BASE, ENABLE, DIF, EBCDIC, packed binary, mail merge (WORDPERFECT, WORD, WORDSTAR), any kind of ASCII, and other formats. Other program files supported are VP-INFO, QUATTRO, SYMPHONY, CLIPPER, FOXBASE, and VP- PLANNER. Every data center needs a copy of this program. In addition to straight file conversion, this package allows you to use complex data extract cases logic, sort fields, insert/delete fields, and search/replace contents during the conversion process, giving the researcher complete control (including data view/edit) over the transfer process. Special conversion specifications can be saved in batch files for repeated use. As a bonus, it is also an excellent program for error-trapped data entry. Context-sensitive online help is always available. A future version is planned to allow updating of records in one file from another (all transfers in the existing version are appends). In sum, it lives up to its claim as an "intelligent front end" for data entry and file conversion.