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Database management applications have come a long way since Symantec introduced Q&A. Lantica's Sesame Database Manager is perhaps the best-known Q&A follow-on, and latest versions still provide an exclusive Q&A translator. Sesame is a cross-platform-capable, client-server database application development and management suite with built-in word processing and publishing capabilities that businesses, organizations, and even individuals can use to manage large amounts of data and create useful applications. These applications include invoices and receipts, reports, e-commerce, inventories, and virtually any kind of form or record.
Sesame's latest versions boast an upgraded form-based interface that builds on the software's well-established functionality and ease of use. A new feature, customizable Menu Button Navigation, gives you quick access to your programs and data. A left-hand tree view makes it easy to access each database and create custom applications from it. Sesame saves developers a lot of time because they can use programming code instead of recording macros or using other out-of-date methods. Version 2 upgraded so many of Sesame's features and added so many new ones that it's not possible to adequately summarize them, but there's an excellent Help file and online assistance, including documentation, and even printed material with the retail box version.
Sesame Database Manager is free to try for 30 days and costs $79. It works in most versions of Windows, from 95 to Vista, as well as in Linux. It installs desktop icons without asking and has a rather elaborate uninstall process. It's the best at what it does, and it does a lot.
Publisher's Description
From Lantica Software:
Sesame Database Manager gives you the tools you need to easily create database applications and organize and present the information in them. Features such as centralized application design facilities, a consistent form-based interface, intuitive query-by-example searching, and HTML reports will have you creating attractive and smoothly functioning applications. If you are new to databases, Sesame Database Manager makes getting started with simple applications easy, fast, and fun. For those with more experience, Sesame Database Manager provides a variety of options within easy reach for customizing and programming your applications. Sesame Database Manager also provides Symantec Q&A users with an exclusive translator for Q&A databases. Sesame Database Manager is available in single or multi-user versions.
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All versions:
4.1 starsout of 25 votes
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Current version:
4.5 starsout of 4 votes
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My rating:
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Results 1-4 of 4
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"it is very good"
Version: Sesame Database Manager 2.1
Pros
easy to store and retrieve
Cons
i don't see much
Summary
I was a Q&A user and this Sesame is a replacement of it for the Windows with lot of features added.
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"How Sesame has helped our business"
Version: Sesame Database Manager 2.1
Pros
In a nutshell, the time required to enter customer data, print out a shipping invoice and complete an order has decreased by a factor of 5 (based on the fact that we can now complete five orders in the time it used to take us to complete one order).
Cons
No spell check on data entry.
Summary
As any business owner knows, time is the essence in running a business and something I do not have a lot of to spare, so my primary concern when purchasing Sesame was the time that would be required to transfer our Q&A database to Sesame and making any required changes or additions to the existing database. This was where my first pleasant surprise with dealing with Lantica Software took place. The customer support Lantica provides and have provided me over the years is second to none, and, believe me, I've had my share of unpleasant experiences with "customer support" from various entities!
In the field of "CONS - what you don't like about Sesame" I put "no spell checker". I was e-mailed the same day I submitted my review by Ray of Sesame Tech Support advising me that there was indeed a spell checker in Version 2.1 and above of Sesame, I just didn't have it turned on! Ray advised me to add "INTERACTIVE SPELL CHECKING: ON" to the Sesame.ini file in the Sesame directory and presto, I now have spell checking! Thanks, Ray, now that's real customer service!
With assistance from Ben, Jay or Raymond at Lantica, I imported my Q&A database into Sesame ver. 1, modified my now working Sesame database by adding some fields, enlarging and moving others and didn't lose any valuable customer data in the process. I have installed all the updates to Sesame and have upgraded to Sesame 2 and added Inside Sesame to the program. All of the above is done from within Sesame as it merges the shipping invoices to our word processor software. This also includes our purchase orders for materials required to manufacture our product and payroll for our employees. The business has expanded to the point that we've had to add several new employees to our staff and we currently have a license for four uses for our Sesame database. Just keep up the good work and excellent customer support and we are a very satisfied Sesame user.
Charles W. Parrott, III
President, Concealed Protection 3, Inc.
Updated on Feb 27, 2010 -
"Great DB solution for DIYers."
Version: Sesame Database Manager 2.1
Pros
- Supports relational databases
- Beginners can get started right away.
- Menu-driven system.
- Client/Server setup is simple.
- Great user community.
- Excellent support from developers.
- Programming allows for advanced db designs.Cons
- There is a bit of a learning curve if you want to create an advanced db design, but worth the effort in the long run.
- Report creation needs some improvement, my only real gripe.Summary
If you've got some basic programming skill then Sesame is going to be a great choice. If you've got an existing Q&A database, their translation program will eliminate a lot of work and save a lot of that older information. The software is very straightforward, supports relational and flat-file databases and can do just about anything you can dream up. Lantica also provides a lot of great support, as does the Sesame community. There are also quite a few database developers who can help design your application for you.
For basic database creation Sesame is easy to use. If you want to make a database that is really advanced you may need to learn how to program a bit, so there's a little bit of a learning curve, but if you're a hands-on kind of person (like me) it will be worth the effort.
If you feel like other db programs are too intimidating, or that you have to shoehorn your organization into a software solution that's either too big or too small, and are considering making your own database solution from scratch (or with help) then you should really give Sesame a look. -
"Simple and good phone support"
Version: Sesame Database Manager 2.1
Pros
Easy to use, and easy to call tech support. I had a couple of questions before buying and they answere my questions without hesitation. Very friendly service and US based.
Cons
The user manual is huge, over 500 pages.
Summary
At first I was hesitate but the more I played with it the more I liked it and I'd been searching for a good data base for a long time. I found it in Sesame. It took me only about an hour to figure out how the system worked and then I had questions for tech support, called and got right through...that's a plus right there.
Results 1-4 of 4
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