Database files generated and handled by Star4Win are fully compatible with StarLing and support the same database format. Fields of variable length in Star4Win, however, lack the restrictions of StarLing (65000 bytes per field in one record). If you wish you may enter text longer than 65000 symbols into your fields. The DOS StarLing program will still be able to handle these files but will truncate the fields which are too long.
StarLing / Star4Win databases are in principle compatible with dBase III/IV and FoxBase / FoxPro. The mechanism of the variable length fields, however, is quite different, so the contents of those fields will be lost in other database system. You should use Star4Win converting or exporting routines before trying to read Star4Win databases in other database management systems.
StarLing had a mechanism of storing comments to
database records in special STM files. These files actually became excessive
already in StarLing, after the introduction of variable length fields.
Star4Win no longer supports STM files, so if you still have them, you should
convert them to database fields by using the StarLing / Star4Win
NOTEFIELD procedure.
Text files generated and handled by STARLING are in ASCII format and can be accessed by any ASCII word processor. Star4Win reads those files and automatically translates them into the standard RTF format (Rich Text Format). Star4Win text files can be saved either as StarLing compatible ASCII files or as RTF files readable in almost any Windows word processor (e. g. Microsoft Word). This eliminates the need for special converting programs which had earlier to be used with StarLing text files. Optionally you can also save Star4Win text files in HTML format.