Trifasts delivers a unified information system for business data management   Trifast's Information Highway Trifast Systems has created an integrated software solution that is ideal for managing businesses which process and distribute customer orders to large markets.  Inventory, distribution and administration needs are all handled by  this single system.      The system, named Tribune, consists of a series of components. Each component can act as a stand-alone unit or jointly as one comprehensive management information system.      Tribune utilizes Empress RDBMS and Empress 4GL operating on Hewlett-Packard 9000 series servers.  By using a 4GL product, Tribune transports easily to any given application.  Applications can be written  in 4GL, without having to drop scripts down into various flavors of Unix.       Moreover, Trifast compared Empress's performance against other databases.  "In a fair contest conducted against Oracle and Informix, Empress was easier and quicker to develop applications in.  It also out performed both of these once the applications had been written," states Trifast Sales Manager,  Nigel Dwyer.    continue at right top...     New Ports to Empress RDBMS   Empress develops scalable, interoperable products that support over 1,500 Unix and Windows platforms.  Recently released ports include:  SCO UnixWare 2.1.2  Empress RDBMS and SCO UnixWare offer software developers  a powerful solution that is ideal for data intensive, complex embedded applications.  Utilizing common standards such as HTML and TCP/IP, Empress RDBMS and SCO UnixWare are optimized for secure, flexible Internet computing.    DYNIX/ptx  Empress's partnership with Sequent combines the robust and reliable capabilities of both the Empress database and DYNIX/ptx operating system.  The two are a match for applications that anticipate high throughput and handling of large amounts of information.  Empress RDBMS and DYNIX/ptx ensure efficient information management and scalability.    continue in Page 4...

Trifast Systems, which is part of the œ60+ million Trifast PLC group, has implemented Tribune for Britain's principal manufacturer of high-quality industrial fasteners, T.R. Fastenings.   For the company, Trifast provides a unified system which serves  20 factory distribution sites that process 700 to 800 complex orders per day.       Today, TR Fastenings's sites are all linked to an HP mini-computer at their main headquarters.  250 screens are supported via this configuration.       Furthermore, Trifast extends the capabilities of the Tribune suite using  Empress Hypermedia, a database-fed Web application development suite.   With Empress Hypermedia and Tribune, Trifast created an easily-accessible  large "stockmarket" database of fasteners for another division of the TR Fastenings Group, The Fastener Factory.  Via the Web, customers can utilize this database to locate information about products held by manufacturers and distributors worldwide.       Tribune, utilizing Empress, is a software solution that greatly facilitates mass data management.  More importantly, the system  delivers where it really counts.  It has aided in bringing overall operating costs down and pushing sales figures up.   Additional information is available at www.trifast-systems.co.uk.    continue from page 1  Empress Technical Support Corner      By accessing the page with the 'ehsql.cgi?writer' tool in an HTML template, the user can execute text blocks in a script language such as Perl.  For example, the following syntax can start Perl with the " -e" option.  This executes the inline Perl code text just like a regular CGI program would.  It looks like:   <EXECUTE TYPE="SCRIPT"    NAME="perl"    FLAGS="-e">   ... Perl Code Text...   </EXECUTE>      The Parameter NAME should work with any installed scripting language.  The FLAGS should instruct the script respectively.  For example, if the NAME has been set as "sh", then the FLAGS should be "-c".  If the perl code produces any standard outputs, it will display in the HTML page.       However, you must ensure that the path to the script language is in the PATH environment of  the HTTP server running the system.  If the HTTP server system does not ensure the scripting language path, the user can include the absolute path through the NAME parameter, eg. NAME="/usr/bin/sh".      See article, "Advances in Internet Technology," for additional Empress Hypermedia V3.00 information.

For information on the products or companies covered in this newsletter, please contact Empress Software by telephone, fax, or e-mail, using any of the numbers listed below:

Empress Software Inc.  6401 Golden Triangle Drive  Greenbelt, Maryland  USA 20770  Tel: (301) 220-1919   Fax: (301) 220-1997  E-mail: sales@empress.com

Empress Software Inc.  3100 Steeles Avenue East  Markham, Ontario  Canada L3R 8T3  Tel: (905) 513-8888  Fax: (905) 513-1668  E-mail: sales@empress.com