Now finally, Inter-Base, Computer Concept's own database management system has arrived, and this completes the Inter-Link series for the BBC Micro and Master. However, there will, I understand, be versions of all the 'Inter' series for the new Archimedes computers, with certain enhancements.

Inter-Base is supplied on a 64K ROM mounted on a small carrier board. This plugs into one of the paged ROM sockets on your Beeb or Master. Master owners should note that the ROM and board are too tall to be used in one of the standard Acorn cartridges, but will work in a Care Electronics cartridge.

The ROM comes with fitting instructions, reference manual, function key strip and a utility disc. The manual comprises some 112 pages and in the main is written to a very high standard. I do have some criticisms of it, which I will refer to later.

The utility disc is supplied on a DFS format single-sided 80 track disc. This contains an example database file of names and addresses, a text file describing the use of the disc, an example file for mail merging the address file with an Inter-Word text file and two programs that will convert both ViewStore and Beebug's own Masterfile datafiles to enable them to be read into Inter-Base.

Inter-Base will work with both DFS and the ADFS but cannot work with second processors. The software does make use of any shadow RAM fitted, which is a decided advantage when using 80 column screen modes.

Like the other 'Inter' ROMs, Inter-Base features the ROM-LINK facility, allowing multiple packages to reside in memory at any one time, with the ability to be able to switch between them. In addition, data from other Inter-Link packages can be exchanged with Inter-Base, providing a high degree of integration.

Inter-Base is divided into two distinct sections. These comprise a card index application program, and a programming language. The card index is reached from the main menu once *IBASE has been issued. This is essentially a very simple but flexible card index, allowing searching and sorting, indexing, printing of data and so forth. The number and types of fields may be defined by the user along with positioning of fields on the screen. Any screen mode may be used, and the size of the database is limited only by the available disc storage.

Operation of the card index program is from the 'main' and 'options' menus, or from the Beeb's function keys. It is adequate for simple database work but is not really representative of what Inter-Base is capable.

To release the full power of this package, you need to examine the second and main part of the software. This is the Inter-Base programming language. You have to write your own custom database application using this or get someone to write it for you.

In conversations Computer Concepts have emphasised that if you need more than a simple card index application, Inter-Base will be of little use to you unless you can program it or get someone to do it for you. But, if you can program well in Basic, then programming with Inter-Base should hold no fears.

The Inter-Base language is in fact very much an extension of BBC Basic. All the features of BBC Basic are available to you within Inter-Base, so your database displays can feature graphics and be as sophisticated as you desire. Many of the keywords in Inter-Base are the same as in BBC Basic and commands operate in the same way or with slight variations. Where there are variations, it usually means that the Inter-Base version is more powerful. Alongside those commands common to BBC Basic are many new commands. For example, loop and control statements such as WHILE-ENDWHILE and CASE-ENDCASE are included. String handling is far better supported in Inter-Base than in Basic, as one would expect in a database language. There are commands for upper to lower case matching and conversion, wildcard matching and item selection.

The Inter-Base language is accessed via the main menu which takes you to a program menu. From within the program menu, pressing Escape takes you to a full screen editor which has most of the facilities of a wordprocessor. The Inter-Base language uses no line numbers but relies on the use of labels where necessary. Apart from the language itself, Inter-Base provides both specialised file handling and database commands to manipulate and store data.

With its combined language and database commands, Inter-Base can be used to create some very powerful and complex database applications, and I would not be at all surprised to see the Inter-Base language being used for work other than database applications. Interbase programs can also be converted to run in sideways RAM.

Earlier I said that Inter-Base would be of little use to those whe were not able or prepared to do programming. This is true now whilst Inter-Base is newly released, but I am sure that in the future software houses will release applications for it, and no doubt magazines like Beebug will feature short programs and utilities.

I must criticise Computer Concepts for two things. Firstly, for not providing an example application written in the Inter-Base language on the utilities disc and, secondly, for not providing a proper programming tutorial in the manual. The tutorial could have been written in such a way as to instruct the user how to customise the application provided to suit his own needs. Computer Concepts say that applications are already being written by several software houses, and that someone is already engaged in writing a book on the programming language. This is fine but adds to the cost for the end user all the time.

When I reviewed Acornsoft's ViewStore in Beebug Vol. 4 No. 6, I described it as the definitive database package for the BBC micro. Also, that all other packages in the future would be judged against it.

In its standard form, as purchased, with only the card index available, Inter-Base is nowhere near as powerful as ViewStore or Masterfile. To get Inter-Base to do what ViewStore can do will require much hard work with the programming language. But, if you are prepared to do that programming or wait until applications are written, Inter-Base can provide a far more powerful and flexible database management system, that can be readily tailored to the user's own specific needs.

Couple that with Inter-Base's ability to integrate with and control the other Inter ROMs and you have a productivity software system that has remarkable power and potential.