| MaxBase is the name given both to the whole set of tools, applications and JavaBeans to be found in this package and the main application of the package itself. MaxBase, the application, is a platform independent Java program that allows you to manage your database tables, both as a database administrator (working with DBs structure), and as a user doing data entry. The stand-alone application has truly many features, some of which are listed here: Local and remote databases can be accessed. Included in this package you will even find a text-mode database server for Tcp/Ip networks! Forms to be used for data entry and presentation can be designed using an easy to use and powerful visual form designer (included in this package). Possibility to expand MaxBase easily with custom plugins (requires programming skills) or with third-party already-made ones. Printing of line view and form view reports. Possibility to mix data coming from sources other than MaxBase with MaxBase DBs in your reports (requires some Java programming skills). Conversion utilities for commonly used data formats: DBF, QIF, CSV. Many, truly many more! All of the features were thought for (and developed with) end users. This fact ensures also that applications built upon MaxBase, the JavaBean, will be user-friendly and feature-packed from the start. Let's see how MaxBase looks:
| The main MaxBase user interface is comprised of pull-down menus, a toolbar and the real application space where the database records are shown in a line view mode (the one of the picture) or a form view mode. As you may have noticed, the colors are not system standard: they were customized with the [ colors and font ] menu option (found in the [ options ] menu). You may have them funky way or you may arrange a sea sunset scheme. You can also have different sets of colors and fonts for every database you create, Just store every database in its own directory and the colors/fonts will be saved in that directory when you exit MaxBase. The last three icons in the toolbar are used to launch the conversion utilities (convert from/to DBF, QIF, CSV and more), the Visual Form Designer (a tool that lets you design forms to be used for data entry and reports), and finally MERGe, the report designer. One of the menu items is called "plugins": what does that mean? Plugins are Java or native-code programs which do things that MaxBase doesn't do out-of-the-box; they are used to expand MaxBase capabilities. In this package you find an example plugin (with full NetRexx source code) that you may install, it is a MIDI jukebox that you could use with a MIDI db like the one above. But MaxBase has many other features, start exploring them by moving to the next section!