This is an older version of the TAS Professional language (DBA Classic as released by DBA Software was written primarily in the TAS 5.1 language). TAS 6.0 was initially released in early 2001 and was the first 32-bit release of TAS. The 1.04e release was the last release of TAS 6.0 which continued to use Btrieve-based file dictionary files; versions after this one switched to a different format making the transition from TAS 5.1 project slightly more complicated.

While DBA made the source code available along with the assembly language compiler (TAS 5.1) that individual DBA program options are written in, no option to create/modify RTM's besides the "modify forms" option was provided. That option was very limited and does not allow a user to add new fields nor make other more complex changes or to create completely new RTM's. (An RTM is a report template file that exists separately on disk allowing changes to a report layout without the requiring necessarily the need for a program to be recompiled).

The only way to otherwise create compatible RTM's was to purchase the Borland's Delphi and the ReportBuilder product from Digital Metaphors which involves considerable expense and is relatively complex. The TAS 6/7 tools provide an alternative option which is both significantly easier and less expensive (and because the RTM's created for DBA were created with older versions of Delphi and ReportBuilder, this may soon become one of the only possible ways in connection with the legacy version of DBA Classic).

For new programming projects you would want to use the improved TAS 7.

The reason for using this version would primarily be to:

 

(a) Retain compatibility with some previously created TAS 6 project that you do not want to bring forward into the newer versions;

 

(b) You are using DBA Classic and wish to edit existing RTM's (versions after this one will create problems because of newer properties added in later versions of TAS and which therefore should not be used) - you do not need Evolution or any other product to modify your DBA RTM's, only the TAS 6 ver 1.04e installation which installs to a separate directory and will not interfere in any way with your DBAMFG directory nor your data;

 

(c) You are using DBA Classic and want to add program functionality outside of DBAMFG and want to use the same dictionary files that DBA Classic uses (a better approach however would to be convert the DBA dictionaries via tools provided in TAS 7 and instead use TAS 7). Same would be true with other TAS 5.1 projects including older versions of Advanced Accounting. (This version of TAS should NOT be used with Advanced Accounting 6.0 or higher. Further this version will not run TAS 5.1 programs without recompiling, something that TAS 7 can do.)

For the very specific purposes described below, we still provide this version. Cost is $199. If the developer/end user is only going to be providing updated RTM's (in the case of a DBA user), no additional purchase is required. If the developer is going to actually be providing programs written in TAS 6 to the end user, the end user would also need a license (unless the developer and end user is the same entity). This is why the TAS 7 unlimited license would normally instead be used if you are doing anything beyond editing RTM's.

To purchase the TAS 6 version 1.04e, see the Store page