Origin of row/column based database software

-----Original Message----- From: cctalk-bounces(a)classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Bob Lafleur Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 9:21 AM To: 'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts' Subject: Origin of row/column based database software I'm curious as to the origin of database software that allows display/edit of the data in a row/column format. All early PC based database software that I had exposure to layed out each record one at a time on the screen, as a "form". You could only view/edit one record at a time. Such programs for the Apple were pfs:FILE, CCA-DMS, and VisiFile. In the summer of 1981 I wrote a replacement for the "maintenance" module of VisiFile that looked like a spreadsheet, and displayed all the data records as rows, and fields in columns. I had never seen any other software do this with a database, although to me it seemed like a natural thing to do, given the popularity of spreadsheets. Now, just about all database software displays data in the row/column metaphor. But was my program the first? I have to admit that my exposure to other database systems was pretty limited in that period - for example, I have never used any mainframe database systems at all. Out of curiosity, does anyone have any examples of DATABASE software that uses the row/column metaphor before the summer of 1981? It would be neat to think that my idea spurred what is now commonplace in databases, although I have to admit that it's a pretty easy mental jump from a spreadsheet to a row/column display of database idea, so it's more likely that others came to the same conclusion, and didn't copy my software! - Bob