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80<br />

Database Programming Languages<br />

Adding database access to traditional languages<br />

Because so many businesses needed programs that manipulated data (hotel<br />

reservations, hospital patient tracking, inventory management, and so on),<br />

programmers often had to teach themselves a database <strong>programming</strong> language,<br />

such as dBASE, rather than use their favorite <strong>programming</strong> languages,<br />

like C++ or BASIC.<br />

To let programmers continue using their favorite (and familiar) <strong>programming</strong><br />

languages, many companies started adding database access to their language<br />

compilers. Two popular languages that offer database access features<br />

include Microsoft’s Visual Basic and Borland’s Delphi (based on the Pascal<br />

<strong>programming</strong> language).<br />

By adding database features to a familiar language, programmers could continue<br />

using their favorite <strong>programming</strong> language without having to know a<br />

completely different database <strong>programming</strong> language. In addition, programmers<br />

could use their favorite language to add more sophisticated features<br />

that might be impossible <strong>for</strong> a database <strong>programming</strong> language to create,<br />

such as the ability to display animation.<br />

Customizing database programs<br />

Perhaps the simplest way to create database applications is to use a database<br />

program that includes its own scripting language. By writing simple programs<br />

(scripts), you can glue the different parts of your database together, such as a<br />

script that transfers data from a database file to a user interface.<br />

One of the most popular Windows database programs, Microsoft Access,<br />

offers the VBA (Visual Basic <strong>for</strong> Applications) scripting language. Of course,<br />

Microsoft Access runs only on the Windows operating system, so if you need<br />

to create database applications that run on both Windows and Mac OS X,<br />

you can choose FileMaker (www.filemaker.com).<br />

Like Microsoft Access, FileMaker offers a scripting language: ScriptMaker.<br />

Best of all, you can create standalone versions of your FileMaker databases<br />

and sell them to anyone who uses Windows or Mac OS X.<br />

Many specialized database programs, such as medical office management<br />

programs or multilevel marketing programs, have been created using<br />

FileMaker.

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