I was a lobbyist who also happened to have administrative oversight of our organization's database using an IBM System 36. After leaving that organization I became the Executive Director and sole staffer of a related political action committee.

I was handed two files on disk -- the membership file and the contribution history file and didn't really know what to do with them. I bought dBase, Rbase, Paradox and probably a couple of others that I don't remember, but with no programming background, I didn't get very far and didn't really know what a relational database was.

Finally, I bought Alpha Four (version 2), loaded it, and that wonderful menu screen came up and I said to myself "Ahhhh, here's what I've been looking for." I still didn't understand everything that I needed to do, but between Alpha Four's ease of use and some help on the old Alpha BBS, I finally designed the system that, for the most part, is still in use today, though I have moved it to Alpha Five, of course.

Q: You have been using Alpha Four and Alpha Five for a number of years now. How is today's database development work different from your early years?

The object-oriented programming is the most visible change, of course. And having Windows to run multiple sessions, tables or whatever is just so much more enjoyable.

On my end, I've also figured out how to make the development more worthwhile. I used to pursue the smaller projects of $5,000 to $10,000 or so, or even less. What I figured out was that I was spending so much time learning the customer's needs and business methods that by the time I delivered the product I had really spent too much time learning and not enough proportionate time doing.

Today I can finally say that I have some specialty areas where I know the industry or customer well, have a few large ongoing projects, and my initial investments of learning and getting to know the customers are long ago paid for.

Q: Do you feel the sense of 'community' is the same today, within the Alpha users group, as it was in the early years?

The Alpha community is a good one. That is part of why I enjoy this product. People are eager to help each other, share information etc. I think all of us know that we share a secret that the rest of the database world still needs to know: Alpha Five is better than any database product out there. Because of our community's attitude, it's also our joint mission to tell the world. That's good for all of us.

I do miss the user group activity. There used to be a couple dozen user groups around the nation including two right near me. We met every month and all became good friends. When I moved away from the Washington, DC metro area both of these groups stopped meeting, though I certainly would have attended once in a while. I was really glad when Ira Perlow put together the developer's conference near Boston last year and I'm looking forward to the second one being an even bigger success. Anyone who saw me there probably noticed how much fun I was having, and I think everyone else had a great time too.

Q: You seemed to make the transition from Alpha Four to Alpha Five well and early. Why is that? What were some of the hurdles you had in making the transition?

Yes, I made the transition early, but no way did I make it well and early. I was a beta tester for Alpha Five version 1. When I first loaded it on my computer, I didn't have a clue what to do. I actually called Selwyn Rabins (co-founder of Alpha Software and Alpha Five inventor) to ask "what now?"

I made the transition because I saw that it was the future. But I'll tell you -- there were many times when I wondered why I was doing this, why I didn't stick with good old Alpha Four, and why is this so hard? Several projects required a lot of walks around the block just to stick with them. I gradually saw the benefits of Alpha Five over Alpha Four and of course have now made the switch so completely that I really don't like having to go back and use Alpha Four. I know there are a lot of Alpha Four users out there who think they can stick with this for a long time, and many of them are probably right. But they have no idea what they're missing.

As for hurdles, I had a hard time understanding the concepts of pointers and aliases, and the Xbasic was a lot different than the Alpha Four scripting I'd gotten used to. Now Xbasic is just a second language to me that allows me to do so much more than could ever be done in Alpha Four. There are many, many other differences that created hurdles as well, but they're almost all attributable to the fact that Alpha Four is a DOS program and Alpha Five is a Windows program with all the benefits of Windows, object-oriented development, and a virtually unlimited playground.

Q: I don't know if you remember, but you were instrumental in my decision to stick with Alpha's database products. If you remember, I was pretty much stuck on Alpha Four and it was becoming apparent that Alpha Four was not going to receive the active product development that we'd seen in the past. I was thinking that if I had to relearn a product, maybe I should go with a product that had a larger installed base of users. You spoke to a philosophy you had gained in your father's wood shop. That was several years ago; what do you think of the database 'tools' that Alpha Software is giving us today?

My dad was a carpenter. He taught me early on to "Always use the right tool for the job". If you need a hammer, use a hammer, if you need a screwdriver, use a screwdriver." As I learned about keeping data, one of the things that amazed and dismayed me the most was to find out what people were doing to keep data that belonged in a database, and often in a relational database. Mailing and contact lists in WordPerfect? I couldn't believe it! But I also know that when people have but one tool, they get creative and learn to do lots of things with it. If all I had was a screwdriver, I might turn it over and use the handle to pound a nail now and then.

So it's been like a mission to me to help people find out what tools they need and learn to use them properly or even well. The person who cuts their first straight line with a saw is just as proud as a person who has designed their first form in Alpha Five, and I love to see those smiles! So many people need a database to do their work, and they know neither what to use nor how to use it. Alpha Five, being easy to learn and use, is a tool that I like people to get acquainted with. And what's amazing about Alpha Five is that it's such a versatile tool that it can be used to solve all sorts of problems and develop a long line of solutions.

The reason I encouraged you to stay with Alpha products is because I've seen so many limitations with other database products. Access doesn't handle a large network of users, Approach is too limiting, etc. etc. Since you knew Alpha Four, I had one more reason to promote Alpha Five to you; there's a lot that's the same. Things like built-in field rules should keep you coming back.

Alpha Five has served me and my customers extremely well. With the exception of some questions about web interactivity, I have been able to do everything -- and usually more -- that has been asked of me. Alpha Five version 5 and later on version 6 will give us even more tools, make them easier to use, and keep Alpha Five as the preferred database for me and millions (I hope) of others.

Q: I understand that you are the author of what may be one of the most extensive applications ever developed with Alpha Five. Can you tell us a little about that, and how you manage and continue to evolve a large application?

You're referring to my automobile leasing database for Allstate Leasing. This was made possible by Alpha Four, which the operations manager had massaged into doing a lot of his company's work for him. He hired me a few years ago to write an Alpha four application to manage the service department. A few years ago they learned that their accounting package vendor would not support them beyond Y2K, which put them in a position of having to decide what to use. There are two large and well-known vendors of leasing software out there. Allstate looked at those packages (and I saw some parts of them) and we decided that we could do it better in Alpha Five.

I believe we've succeeded. And I say "we" because Gary Phillips, Allstate's operations manager and I have worked closely together on this -- neither of us could have done this without the other's expertise. And with his knowledge of Alpha Four, it was easier to talk to him and develop solutions in Alpha Five than it would have otherwise been.

There's an old Johnny Cash song about working in a car factory for 20 years, and every few days for those 20 years, he smuggled out some part of a car. One day a spark plug, the next week a door handle, etc. At the end of 20 years he had a car that was a 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60 automobile...

That's how we built the Alpha Five database -- one piece at a time. It has a GL, AP, AR, modules for Purchasing, Service Department, Lease Management and a whole lot more including a large suite of administrator's tools. Rather than describe it at length here, I'd invite readers to see more of it at www.workings.com. Now that we have it working well -- they've been using it since late 1999 -- the maintenance is not a big chore, but one that requires regular attention. We still find a small mistake now and then that needs a fix, but more often I'm building additional pieces or enhancing something that's already in place. This year we added a whole new department to the system with only about 25 hours of my time. This hadn't been planned, but the model handled all the requirements quite easily. I'm particularly proud of the ease with which this fit together.

One more point to fully answer your question: I do all my work from my home office and simply upload my changes and additions via pcAnywhere. I have another customer in Michigan who's implementing a virtual private network that I also look forward to using. Many of us consultants have gotten pretty good at remote customer service. I think many customers are still getting used to the idea, but are understanding more and more that their Alpha developer can be anywhere in the world. I've had a lot of customers I've never met, and probably won't.

Q: I understand that you had some concerns brought to your attention about Alpha Five's set file names becoming a subject of National interest. Now that the Clinton administration is behind us, can you tell us about that incident?

I love this story. One of my databases is in use at the White House, helping to manage visitors' tours. One particular module handles tours of groups of people like Boy Scouts, church groups, etc. So I named that the WHGroup set. Later on I was explaining the naming conventions to the assistant director of the office. I explained the .ddd, .ddm, and .ddx and then I moved on to the naming conventions for the sets. "There's the WHGroup.SET" I said as I pointed to the screen, "The WHGroup.SEM, and..."

Well, my friend saw the name of the next file and loudly interrupted me with a big smile "OK! That's good!!! I understand!!!!" That file name, of course, is WHGroup.SEX.

Long pause....... microphone shut off

You are a beta tester for Alpha Five v5 aren't you? What are a few of the features that you're most excited about?

At Ira Perlow's developer's conference last fall, Selwyn Rabins gave an hour long presentation of version 5's new features. He complained good naturedly about not having enough time to show us all the new stuff. So Ira found more time for Selwyn later in the conference. I think that between the formal and informal presentations, Selwyn spent somewhere around six hours going through the new features, and he still wasn't done, and since then they've added more. So it's real hard to know where to start.

I would say one of my favorite new features that I plan to implement in a couple ways soon is the email. You can send and receive email with Alpha Five, which means you can integrate it into a database as never before. The list of new functions is endless, but that points to what Alpha has really done; they've made this a package with flexibility beyond our imagination. I have no idea how Selwyn has been able to come up with the astounding feature list he's adding, and it's more amazing to see that he's been able to make it all work. What do you want? It's probably just a few clicks away. On a more prosaic level and as I've now passed the 40 year mark, I like being able to choose font size and colors throughout the system, especially the Xbasic editor and expression builder.

Let me defend something while we're here. Alpha Software originally announced an anticipated release of version 5 in the first quarter of 2001. Obviously that hasn't happened and it's almost a year later. Some are getting or have been impatient and criticized Alpha for not releasing it's upgrade sooner.

I have two things to say:

First, version 5 of Alpha Five is such an astonishing achievement, that Alpha Sofware should be given the time to get it right. And second, each and every one of us know that if it's not right when it comes out, the market will forever trash it.

Alpha Software has, one way or another, managed to stay in the active business of building and selling a database product in the face of free Access and so many other hurdles. Obviously they have something very, very valuable. I, for one, am glad to use the wonderful tool called Alpha Five version 4 until they come out with version 5, at which time I hope the world comes to its senses and sees that there's a better mousetrap. So, let Alpha Software get it right, and be patient. It will be worth it.

Q: Where do you see the future of your development work taking you?

One of my personal shortcomings is my lack of life goal development. Things seem to have always fallen into my lap in good ways and that has probably reduced my need to think about where I'm headed. I do have a couple of customers, such as Allstate Leasing that we discussed earlier, who will probably always need my support services. At least I hope they see it that way. I had an Alpha Four application that I developed in partnership with a friend in another industry that was eventually in use by over 100 companies. We'd like to build that up real nicely in Alpha Five and really get it out there in the world. I have a couple of packages like that that could probably sell to several hundred or even a couple thousand users. My income could be boosted by annual support contracts and regular upgrades.

I'd love to teach some more. The user groups were like classrooms to me, and I've done a fair amount of teaching. Francie Peake and Susan Bush currently have a "Get Outta DOS" seminar that's apparently well-received. I envy them for having the chance to give so many people what I call the "Aha!" experience. That's the look on someone's face when all the mumbo-jumbo mishmash turns into something clearly understood, and they say to themselves "Aha!" You can see it right on their face, and it's terrific. But all this requires time on my part, which I never seem to have enough of. But stay tuned -- I'll get it all done somehow.

Q: What about the web? Everyone it talking about the web this and the web that. Does the web figure into the future of your work?

Version 5's integration with email is going to help keep today's web-centric customers interested. Version 6 is already being talked about a bit, and I understand it will have a more complete integration with the web. Yeah, that's probably a few years away, but I can wait.

Many people encouraged me in the late '90s to quit database work and get into web work. "That's where the money is" they said. Well, I'm finally proven right and wish I'd had the guts to say it then, but it just all seemed too unreal to me and without an explainable foundation. Remember that my dad was a carpenter, and it's always been important to me to see how things worked and what they were made of before I could understand it. I guess I couldn't see anything for the most part because it wasn't there.

My thinking for the last few years, and today, is that while the web is an increasing part of business, there is and will for a long time be a great need and demand for a good old-fashioned desktop- or network-based database. While Allstate, for instance, could use some web features (and indeed is doing some things on that end), they do not need their GL, AP, AR, or many other daily management tools available for people to see with web browsers. So let version 6 come when it comes. In the meantime, I anticipate plenty of business.

Q: Steve, you've had several major personal changes in the last several years. One of which is a wife and another is a 'new' barn. Where are you at with these projects?

Ahh, a chance to talk about my other interests and tell you how incomplete my web site is. Yes, three years ago my girlfriend and I made a break from the suburbs of Washington DC and found a 220 year old farmhouse with barn, creek, etc. in West Virginia. We got married in the barn a year later and have been having a ball here. This July we hope for 1,500 people at our 3rd Annual Country Roads Folk Festival right here in our fields (see http://www.MoFolk.com).

Last winter I salvaged a 100 year old barn for the wood and have since then really gotten my woodworking shop in good order and actually produced a few things. Our veggie garden is real productive, and Maureen and I have become proficient canners. Christmas presents are mostly done by September with canned peaches, beets, beans, tomato sauce, and lots of other things.

That's all just a start. There are so many interesting things to do that my biggest challenge these days is actually finding time to sit in front of the computer and get paying work done. But working from home gives me the flexibility to do a lot, and I don't miss staff meetings or commuting at all. My slogan: "No suit, no commute."

Finally, Jim, I want to thank you and Bill for spearheading this newsletter and for the many other contributions you've made to the Alpha community. One of these days we'll have to interview you so that everyone can be reminded of how much you've done.

Thanks so much for your time.

Geez Steve, 1500 people. How are you going to keep track of everything?


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