Q&A (Symantec)

Database and word processing software program

Q&A was a database and word processing software program for IBM PCcompatible computers published by Symantec and partners from 1985 to 1998. It was written by a team headed by Symantec founder Dr. Gary Hendrix, Denis Coleman, and Gordon Eubanks. Released by Symantec in 1985 for MS DOS computers, Q&A's flat file database and integrated word processing application was cited as a significant step towards making computers less intimidating and more user friendly. Among its features was a natural language search function based on a 600 word internal vocabulary. Q&A later evolved into both a useful business productivity tool and the foundation of Symantec. The software had been prepared for internationalization, and a German version (called F&A (in German)) came out, followed by release in several other languages.

Version 3.0 was released in the spring of 1988. Users of this version could now use a database on a local area network, simultaneously. Data records were locked so that users could edit different records at the same time. If a user was editing a record, it would be locked for other users. These other users would merely see a message saying a user was editing the record. Stored reports and other specifications however, could be edited at the same time. Reports could be run and even if they ran slowly their results would be drawn from a consistent set of data as it appeared at the time the report began to execute. This multi user functionality was described by Symantec as new to the low end PC database market. With a function called XLOOKUP, Q&A 3.0 could be programmed to bring values from an external database into the currently open one—a step toward relational database functionality.

Released for Windows in 1993, Version 4.0 boasted a plethora of new features; two new views (Form View and Spreadsheet View), the ability to choose file names from a dialog box, and a simple control panel (favorably compared to the controls of a VCR). Symantec attempted to develop a Macintosh version of Q&A at the same time as their Windows effort. This occurred at their Monterey Development Center. It would have been a functional equivalent with a Macintosh flavor. Sadly, they were unable to complete the project and it was scrapped. Perhaps more anticipated was an improvement on Q&A's original natural language technology which appeared in the Windows version. Called DAVE—Do Anything Very Easily—in 4.0, the natural language query feature was possessed of two aspects: Intelligent Assistant, which allowed users to navigate easily amongst records using basic English queries created by clicking entries in the toolbar, and Scripting Assistant, which permitted the creation of scripts within the application to automate commonly used, repetitive tasks, as opposed to the keystroke recorded macros used by the DOS version. Released in 1995 first only in Europe, then later in the US in response to demands from the extremely vocal user base, Andreas Göbel's Version 5.0 addressed interoperability issues, added more user control over form colors and introduced the ability to Copy/Paste between fields. Although Symantec continued to sell both Versions 4.0 and 5.0, neither was actively marketed,