Q: Jerry, to most in the Alpha Community, yours is a familiar name but I would guess that most do not know what you do for a living.

For the last 7 years I have been working as a corporate training instructor in the heavy equipment industry. I teach technicians how to troubleshoot and repair large off-highway equipment. We work with equipment from skid steer loaders up to large multi-million dollar excavators and mining trucks. Most of our equipment is controlled by electronics in some way and all of our field technicians have their own laptop computers for diagnostics and service information. As part of my work, I teach the use of computers in general and the operation of the specific programs they use as well as assisting other employees with computer problems. I also do some computer consulting on the side and have a number of Alpha based applications in use at various companies.

Q: I have been impressed by the work I have seen from you. Have you had any formal programming training?

Actually, I had a couple computer programming courses in college while earning a Mechanical Engineering degree. That was a long time ago in the era of main frames, punch cards, and simple programs. I was reminded of the time passage when I saw a newer version of the text book I used in class on display at the Smithsonian.

Q: How do you use Alpha Five in your work?

I wrote a program in A5V1 that is still in use to track our training classes and class histories. Originally, it had other functions, such as tracking literature in our service library. As happens frequently, program development was interrupted by work and I am the only person still using it. I also wrote programs for our Human Resources department to administer a random drug testing program and track job applications. Another department uses a program to calculate maintenance costs for service contracts. I have also done consulting work for other companies such as designing an inventory control program.

Q: How long have you been using Alpha Software database products?

My first exposure to Alpha was with Alpha 4 version 2. In fact, a program I wrote in A4V2 was still in use at a previous employer until last year when I sold them a major program upgrade in A5V4.5. When the Windows versions came out, I switched from A4V6 to A5V1 and started in a new direction.

Q: How do you remember your switch from Alpha Four to Alpha Five?

My first exposure to Alpha Five was version 1 and initially it was a bit of a shock. The change in concepts and processes took some time to understand. As many have found, the learning curve was steep. Essentially, I had to start over. While the basic table structures didn't change, nearly every method to manipulate forms, objects, etc did change. The transition from A5V1 to A5V4 also took some relearning, but by then I had a better understanding about the ways to work in Windows. The potential of a Windows version far exceeds what can be done in DOS, so the effort was worthwhile.

Q: Alpha's claim to fame as always been 'easy to use database software'. But with the later versions of Alpha Five a lot of power has been added under the hood. This is a delicate balance, bringing users a friendly environment while still offering almost limitless power. Some have expressed the thought that Alpha Five is not as easy to learn as Alpha Four. What are your thoughts?

Alpha Four is a relatively simple program that does many things well. Alpha Five is much more powerful, but with the power comes more complexity. The programs are also very different and really can't be compared directly. Alpha Five V5 is even more powerful than earlier A5 versions, but I think is the easiest Windows version to use. The additions of the genies and the improvements in Action Scripting have actually made it easier for a new user to build very professional databases without any direct coding. For the advanced developer, the program has so many built in functions and processes that more can be done with less work. Of course, the challenge now is to learn how to use all of these great tools.

Q: There are still a great many users of Alpha Four. Do you have any thoughts for them?

Alpha Four still fits a need. There are many situations that don't need fancy interfaces or complex processes, and the simple application works well. Because a DOS program uses much less overhead than any Windows based solution, Alpha Four is very fast. However, at some point, users are demanding more features and power and the transition to a Windows based solution is almost required.

Q: Have you had any experience with other database products?

My initial exposure to "databases" was finding a method to track inventory using a modified spreadsheet on an Apple 2e. I don't remember the name of the program used. Later I completely rewrote a point of sale system our company had purchased that didn't work. This was written using a DOS program called Dataflex. I have tried Access, Paradox, and Fox Pro, but was disappointed with all of them and went back to Alpha products that were much easier.

Q: Jerry, you have just released the newest Addin available for Alpha Five version 5, your Calendar Addin. This has got to be one of the neatest and useful utility programs I have seen. Tell us where the idea to create this addin came from?

Actually, the idea came from Keith Hubert in London. In November of last year he had a post on the forum called "Dialog calendar" where he had an idea to build a calendar in xdialog. This planted the seed that eventually grew into the addin. I had made many calendars using forms, so it seemed a natural project. I also needed calendars for another project I was working on. Keith supplied some ideas and the project grew from a simple calendar with a dedicated table to the addin of today. Not only did Keith supply many ideas, opinions, challenges, and design ideas, he also did much of the testing on the various designs. Without his help, the addin would not be what it is today. Many of the other addins included in the package began as a way to learn xdialog or as part of other projects.

Q: How long did it take you to bring this addin to fruition?

The code part of the project took about 4 1/2 months with many changes in direction along the way. The help files took another month and testing and final touches took another month or so. I didn't keep track of the hours since initially it was just a learning exercise and the work was done as time permitted in the evenings and weekends. The decision to create a marketable addin came about midway in the project and by then many hours had been spent, and wasted, with false starts and changes in design philosophy.

Q: Has Alpha Software contributed to the development of your projects?

Anyone who uses an Alpha Software product should be aware of the level of support from the people at Alpha. Not only do they regularly answer questions directly on the user forum, but they even occasionally offer to look at a user's code and try to help solve problems. This support is unparalleled in the software world. During the development of my addin, I had a number of questions that were quickly answered, along with some great ideas and suggestions. Richard and Selwyn Rabins both contributed very helpful information and advice. Jeannette Cook in customer service gave some valuable insights into the needs of the end user which resulted in some changes to make the product easier to use.

Q: The Calendar Addin comes in two versions, is that correct?

Yes, the addin has 2 versions. One version is a single user license that will run on the Home version or the full development version of Alpha Five. It will not run on the runtime or any shadowed installation. The other version is an unlimited distribution license, which is similar in concept to the A5V5 unlimited runtime license. This will run on all versions and networked applications. The code is functionally exactly the same in both versions.

Q: This is not an advertisement, but I am sure our readers are curious to know what Alpha Software is charging for the two version of your Calendar Addin.

The single user version is $19.95 and will run on both the full version and the Home version. It will not run on the runtime or a networked environment. The Unlimited Distribution version is $99.95, will run on all versions, and can be included in a distributed application.

Q: The beauty of this addin is that it can be easily integrated into virtually any existing database.

Most calendars are designed to use a specific table structure. Initially, this calendar started with that idea and a fixed table design. But that was too limiting. The big advance was designing a method to link the calendar to any table with a date field or any set with a date field in the parent table. The calendar genie allows creating a calendar that is unique to the table selected. Different fields can be displayed, the data can be shown in almost any order, and the display can be filtered to show only specific records. Even some of the display colors can be changed. The user normally doesn't have to change any table structure to build and show a unique calendar.

Q: The Calendar Addin is based upon Xdialog, just one of the many additions and extensions of Alpha Five version 5. What can be created with a few lines of Xdialog is astounding, but the syntax, at least compared with Xbasic, is a little terse. Give us your thoughts on Xdialog.

I find xdialog one of the great advances in A5V5. It allows tremendous flexibility to create very unique dialog forms that aren't linked to any structure other that the database itself. I started programming in the days of punch cards where very precise syntax was critical. Most of my early work required every line, and every screen to be coded. Until A5V5, I rarely used the genies, but wrote xbasic directly. Although it took a while to learn much of the syntax for xdialog, I now use it extensively. I also now use the Action Scripting genies in A5V5 since they are so good and create code so accurately and quickly. Without the xdialog genie, learning xdialog would have been much more difficult.

Q: Many very successful users of Alpha Five will probably not become Xdialog coders as you have. How do you see Xdialog benefiting them?

Xdialog helps every user in ways they don't see. Nearly all of the genies in the A5 program are xdialog, which allows updates and changes to the program features very quickly. The xdialog genie allows any user to make more interesting message boxes and use much of the power of xdialog without any coding. If the user wants to get a little more creative, the genie is a great learning tool since it builds most of the code for you and the user only has to make slight modifications.

Q: New users always want to know the best way to learn how to use the Alpha Five program. What do you suggest?

The best way to learn the program is to use it, or more accurately, play with it and experiment. Many new users buy the program and immediately start a specific project, but I think a better approach is to read the documentation and then start small. Build a simple table, create a form, design a browse, and maybe write a simple report. Work with the tutorials and the examples in the documents and see what you can do. Open Alpha Sports and see what can be done. Use the genies and see how they work. There are also some great training programs available to get the new users started on the right foot. After you are fairly comfortable with the mechanics of the program, then try a simple project like an address book, or build a simple invoice system. As you build knowledge, you can start a specific project. Most experts started small and expanded their efforts as they learned more about the program. There is considerable help available starting with the documentation that keeps growing daily. I have much of it printed out and most of it is very dog-eared. If you can't find an answer there, then search the forum. If you are still at wits end, then post a message and someone will help.

Q: You spend a lot of time on the forum helping other Alpha Five users. What do you see as the biggest problem for new users?

Actually, I think there are a couple issues. Trying to do too much before they know how the program works is one. Building a complex report is a real challenge if you haven't learned the features of the report builder. A second problem is not planning a project. Some users just keep adding and modifying without any clear plan. The result can be confusing and error prone. Take the time to clearly decide how the main elements, like table structures and form layouts, should be constructed. Time spent planning will save frustration and reduce wasted time later. The third big problem is poor troubleshooting and testing. Every project will have elements that don't work as expected. Finding the errors can be a challenge and time consuming. You need patience and a careful, structured approach to get to the bottom of many errors.

Q: Jerry, we had a peek at Alpha Five version 6 at the Alpha Conference earlier this year. What are you exited about that is coming in version 6?

Just about everything. The ability to link to another data source is probably the biggest advance. Being able to use other data formats will move Alpha Five into a new market and allow it to challenge some big name (and big cost) database front end programs. The concept of a data object will allow much more flexibility in designing a database and give some new capabilities. Actually, I think the other big advance is the Web Application Server since this will open up new avenues for using Alpha based databases. In my work with many remote users, this will be a huge advance.

Q: I am excited about the coming versions of Alpha Five. Do you have any thoughts on where the new versions will take us?

If anything, continued program development is beginning to blur the lines between web based and standalone applications. It is also making application construction easier and shifting the emphasis from the need to write code to placing more importance on application layout and design. This will require new skills from developers. In the past, a developer was frequently judged on their ability to write elegant code to complete a complex process and by how well they used tools of the program. The program genies and tools are improving to the point that I think the emphasis will move to the look and feel of a database and how well it integrates into the workplace.

Q: Do you have any more addins for Alpha Five up your sleeve?

Now that this project has been moved to a different level, I have some other neglected projects to complete. However, none are envisioned as addins. I do have another completed program coming to market aimed primarily at developers to allow them to quickly copy code elements like scripts, function, menus, form designs, etc from one database to another or from a table to another table. The project needs some finishing touches, but will be available shortly.

Q: Tell us a little about this project. How will this differ from the methods we now have to copy code to different databases, and the new code library coming in version 6?

The program is aimed at the experienced user and the concept to allow a developer to quickly copy scripts, functions, menus, toolbars, and even user saved settings and other items like bitmaps from one database to another. In essence, the program opens an existing database, set, or table data dictionary and compares the saved items with the items saved in another selected database, set or table. The user can then quickly select items to copy to the destination or even delete from the source. This was initially developed for my own use in A5V4 where I built a boilerplate application and needed a way to quickly and efficiently copy scripts, functions, etc to a new database. It is also useful when converting scripts and functions to aex files and you want to save a copy of the original code and yet delete the code attached directly to the database. Alpha already has some of the tools to do this in A5V5, but this program allows the user to quickly select groups of items, making backup copies if needed, and then completing the actions with a couple key strokes.

Q: When you are not at work, or developing in Alpha Five, what do you do for fun?

Actually, programming started primarily as a hobby and computers still are part of my relaxation. My wife and I also like to travel and ride motorcycles. I also play a little bad golf as part of my "relaxation".

Q: Motorcycles, now you have hit my hot button. What kind of riding?

My wife and I have both been riding for nearly 30 years. During that time we both raced off road motorcycles. Later, my wife was one of the very few women to ever earn a professional expert road racing license and a FIM international expert license and road raced Superbikes in the AMA pro series. Now, we both ride sport bikes and enjoy weekend rides.

Q: Have you done any long distance touring on motorcycles?

Time constraints limit our rides normally to short one day trips. Our last touring experience was a 7 day trip last year in the Alps, which was quite an experience.