Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/DataFlex

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. (non-admin closure) J 947 00:23, 16 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

DataFlex[edit]

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This has been tagged as being unsourced since September 2014. I searched a bit for sources and I couldn't find anything relevant - everything I found is either not independent or about companies and/or products with similar names (there seem to be several). I think this article does not satisfy the general notability guideline and should be deleted. MrOllie (talk) 15:13, 8 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I am also nominating the following related page because it is an article about the same software, just under a different brand name, and also has no sources:

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Software-related deletion discussions. Shawn in Montreal (talk) 18:09, 8 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Keep. Dataflex was big in its day; but its day was long ago. There'll be loads of RS in computer magazines of the 1980s & early 1990s. Just because you can't find RS with an internet search does not mean they do not exist. It really isn't helpful to want to delete history like this. A point of an encyclopedia is to be able to find information on obscure subject matter. Bottom line: this is a very disappointing AfD. --Tagishsimon (talk) 20:22, 8 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Keep. While you might not have found anything about the programming language, it is still used by thousands of developers on a day by day bases. If you think my edits where too commercial then that is your opinion. I just added what I believed was correct and improved the page. Personally I frown on that removal, but what can I do but accept your choice? FWIW I happen to program in DataFlex and run the largest open source website for that language (http://www.vdf-guidance.com ) Maybe the resources page at vdf-guidance helps you find things? --Wilva (talk) 20:49, 8 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Does an old magazine issue help as a source? https://archive.org/details/nzbitsandbytes-5-03 --Wilva (talk) 21:29, 8 March 2017 (UTC) Another one here: https://shop.heise.de/katalog/datenjongleur-1 and also here: https://shop.heise.de/katalog/weltenbummler --Wilva (talk) 21:47, 8 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Merge Visual DataFlex into this one. I can easily find sources from the 1980s. Yes, software did exist way back then, and this appears to be a somewhat pioneering technology. Two bad articles is certainly worse than one decent one. W Nowicki (talk) 23:51, 8 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Also, it seems there was a court case "Data Access Corporation v Powerflex Services Pty Ltd." which is often cited in Australian law! Who knew. That should be mentioned. W Nowicki (talk) 00:21, 9 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Keep. Personal independent testimonial and argumentation to keep the article on DataFlex. Since the end of the 80's, I am, as an independent software developer in Belgium, using the DataFlex suites as my primary software development environment. I have built unix, CM, windows, ajax, web3 and mobile applications with it. Nowadays the ability to fast develop web3, mobile and touch apps together with soap, json etc are embedded in the same studio. This makes the environment very modern, following todays trends and technologies. Through multiple middle layer drivers, it can be connected natively to most commercial DB environments. Dataflex applications are being used by small companies up to multinationals. The software that we have developed are used by users, seating in approx. 15 different countries, and that's just for me. My personal reference solution connects to a DB of + 250GB. Our longest ongoing project with continuous added functionality started in 1995 and has been evolving week after week since then. From these environments, we are exchanging information with the nr 1 ERP system, other ERP systems, automation lines, industrial PDA's, labo integration, specific test equipment, or better said, what people currently call IoT. During my career, I have given multiple courses, lectures and demonstrations. Velpenf (talk) 07:45, 9 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Keep Google books search shows results in both InfoWorld and PC Mag magazines from 80s and 90s. Plenty of coverage to estabilish notability. I may add some more references to the article. Pavlor (talk) 09:56, 9 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]
- I repost this reference I added to the article, because it is 10 (full) pages comparison of three programmable databases (FoxPro, DataFlex, Advanced Revelation), should solve notability issue once and for all (I hope link is correct):
  - Duncan, Judy; Petreley, Nicholas; Chiu, Peter; Mathews, Carla (November 18, 1991). "Product comparison, Database building blocks". InfoWorld. Vol. 13, no. 46. IDG. pp. 87, 90, 92–93, 96, 100–103, 106. ISSN 0199-6649. Pavlor (talk) 16:46, 9 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Keep. I have been working with DataFlex since 2001. I work for a UK based company that provides software for the not-for-profit sector, and the Institute of Fundraising has twice awarded us the best CRM database supplier in the last 4 years, so DataFlex is hugely important to us. We have approximately 200 clients spread through the whole of the UK who benefit greatly from our ability to deliver solutions on a rapid timescale thanks to the DataFlex programming language. Our product is written for Windows but we have just started to use the language to create mobile applications and solutions. Braggovic (talk) 16:25, 9 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Keep. As a regular contributor to the Wikimedia Foundation, I'm very disappointed in this apparent aggressive removal strategy. I understand that keeping the information current and correct is essential, but as DataFlex is used in Many Many large and small organisations I don not understand why its removal. Personally I have been on the Committee of the Independent DataFlex Developers And Users Group http://www.ddug.org, organizing annual conferences in the Asia Pacific region since 2000. I'm the director of a DataFlex Specialist Consultancy http://www.28it.com.au. Among our customers are large insurance companies, companies dealing with government data, as well as small industrial companies. Some have '90's style application wanting/needing to go to Mobile/Touch (while maintaining their investment in DataFlex code), others are on the Windows platform (formerly called Visual DataFlex). Removing the DataFlex and Visual DataFlex pages is a bad idea. However the DataFlex community could do a better job in improving the information on these pages. So I guess thanks for pointing out that this should be a priority, the potential deletion certainly woke us up..Mkuipers (talk) 21:34, 9 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Keep - as per above.CAPTAIN RAJU (✉) 20:13, 15 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.