on 10/15/04 6:11 AM, Norm Saunders at  wrote:

> The problem with every single computerized bird-listing database
> that I've examined is that NONE of them are set up to take an
> existing database and convert it to their proprietary format.  Fran
> and I have over 75,000 records in our current database and there is
> absolutely no way I will re-enter all of this data.  I have
> complained many times to Avisys and to Thayer about this problem and
> basically gotten the response, "Tough, it's your problem..."
>
I agree. I have also discussed this issue with Avisys. I even told them that
I would take on the task of converting my data (133,000 sightings) if they
would tell share the data structure with me and provide a way to import. No
luck.

I am a Macintosh user, so I am now discussing data conversion with the
developer of the Wings program. I may have more luck in this case.

> I continue to use an old, reliable program called Plover as my data
> entry front end, which creates files in the very standard dBase
> format.  Sightings are then copied to a Paradox database file where
> I can write sophisticated queries to actually pull results from the
> data.  Oh, and Paradox files can also be transformed quite easily to
> Microsoft Access and other commercial database formats.
>
I have been using a program that I developed myself using Foxbase Plus Mac,
a dBase like program that is no longer supported by Microsoft. I has
continued to work well, but does not run under the latest Macintosh
operating system and does not produce very nice looking reports. I have also
grown tired of updating the taxonomy, and am now several checklist
supplements behind.

> Yes, I would love some of the functionality of those other packages,
> but I am not going to waste my money as long as they aren't
> responsive to my needs.

Ditto. I will see what Wings can do.

Elliot Kirschbaum
Baltimore, MD