Quick question,

Can more than one user input into the database at the same time. If so, I would like to use this in my office for small intranet databases, I think its a really good product, no problem paying for it once management accepts the various database concepts.

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Peter Filopoulos
http://www.tc4.com/
admin@tc4.com

Well, not exactly at the same time, but close enough that it would seem that way. Unless you're using a Windows system, you use "flock" which allows writing and reading from the file by more than one person at a time. However, the processes are pretty fast, so there shouldn't be a problem.


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JPD

In all likely hood I would be using NT 4.0 with ntfs. I have tested this and it seems to works with flock on.

thanks.

Peter,

We are using NT 4.0/IIS 4.0 and it works just fine. I had three people entering data at the same time, and it worked just fine.

JPDeni, Windows 95 Server does not allow flock to occur. There is no problem with Windows NT/IIS. I can't speak for NT/O'Reilly Web Server, but it should function the same.

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Eliot Lee
Founder and Editor
Anthro TECH, L.L.C
http://www.anthrotech.com/
info@anthrotech.com
==========================
Coconino Community College
http://www.coco.cc.az.us/
Web Technology
Coordinator
elee@coco.cc.az.us

Thanks, Eliot. I've been trying to figure that out. Win95 and Win98 can't do "flock." And it appears that Mac can't either. But I'm glad to know that NT can.


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JPD

Hiya,

There are other ways to do it though, that could be added to a Win95/98/Mac system if needs be. I've been reading up on file locking, and one of the common ways to do it on systems that don't support flock() is to create a temporary file when the data file is opened for reading or writing. Before each process is allowed to open the file, you have it check to see if the temp file exists beforehand. Then when it's done, just unlink the temporary file and the another process will then be allowed access.

You'd just place this mechanism in exactly the same place you'd put flock, and it'll do a rudimentary version of the same thing, if maybe a little slower.

Just thought it might be handy for the future...

adam