Client claims database is "hidden"

[daveprice74]

I have a group of clients, not very technical, who want me to create a bunch of trigger-based export programs for their Progress app. Easy enough... but they claim the manufacturer of the product (NewStar or something) has somehow "hidden" the database structure.

I'm assuming what they mean is they don't have a 4GL or Results license (they do not do any support of course). Presumably, they can purchase the 4GL license and everything will be hunky-dory, at least in terms of being able to see the database structure.

Can a database in fact be "hidden?"

 

[cecsno]

There is a hidden attribute on tables.

for each _file no-lock:
display _file-name _hidden.
end.

Or the developer could have used the dbrstrct utility of the developers toolkit to restrict query and update of the database. If this is the case your out of luck.

I have a group of clients, not very technical, who want me to create a bunch of trigger-based export programs for their Progress app. Easy enough... but they claim the manufacturer of the product (NewStar or something) has somehow "hidden" the database structure.

I'm assuming what they mean is they don't have a 4GL or Results license (they do not do any support of course). Presumably, they can purchase the 4GL license and everything will be hunky-dory, at least in terms of being able to see the database structure.

Can a database in fact be "hidden?"