Microsoft KB Archive/114505

INF: Description of Btrieve

PSS ID Number: Q114505 Article last modified on 03-13-1995

1.00 1.10 2.00

WINDOWS

= SUMMARY =

Btrieve is not a full, stand-alone database application like Microsoft Access or Microsoft FoxPro. This article describes how Btrieve works with Microsoft Access and with Novell NetWare and non-NetWare networks.

= MORE INFORMATION =

Btrieve is not a full, stand-alone database program like Microsoft Access or Microsoft FoxPro. Btrieve is a dynamic-link library (DLL), similar in nature to a terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program in MS-DOS, that provides the ability to read from and write to database files on a hard disk. It is a record-managing engine only and does not have a user interface.

You can attach Btrieve databases in Microsoft Access, or import data from or export data to Btrieve databases. To use Btrieve without Microsoft Access, you must first write a program (commonly known as a front end) to access the Btrieve functions. These function calls specify the operation you want the Btrieve engine to perform, and also send any necessary data.

Since Btrieve handles all data as complete and separate records, it does not consider the actual contents of the records. To Btrieve, it is just writing information to the hard disk. The only exception to this behavior is when Btrieve deals with the portion of the record that has been identified as an index. In this case, Btrieve uses this portion of the record to create a binary tree index, which is sorted according to the method applicable for the type of data it contains.

Non-NetWare Usage of Btrieve
In MS-DOS, Btrieve is accessed as a TSR whose functions are called by interrupts made by the front end. The function performs the requested operation on the specified file and then returns control to the front end.

In Microsoft Windows, Btrieve is accessed as a DLL named WBTRCALL.DLL. This DLL contains the same functionality as mentioned above, except that the parameters are passed directly.

NetWare Usage of Btrieve
Btrieve is integrated into Novell NetWare networks and is used internally by NetWare to create a full client/server environment. This is accomplished by loading Btrieve on a server as a NetWare Loadable Module (NLM), and then making function calls to the NLM over the network. Doing this requires a combination of a TSR and a DLL.

The TSR is BREQUEST.EXE on the client (workstation). BREQUEST.EXE is a network communication package that must be loaded before starting Windows, and is activated by WBTRCALL.DLL. This version of WBTRCALL.DLL differs from the one used in non-NetWare environments, even though they have the same name. This DLL’s only function is to activate the TSR, which in turn sends the parameters across the network to the server. Where multiple servers are used, Novell provides routers to connect them together so that only one copy of Btrieve must be loaded on the main server.

Btrieve is manufactured by Novell Inc., a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product’s performance or reliability.

Additional reference words: 1.00 1.10 2.00 Attaching KBCategory: kb3rdparty KBSubcategory: IsmBtrv

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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1995.