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AskOPAS

AskOPAS is a stand-alone utility that supplements the built-in search engines of OPAS. It provides a ‘plain language’ way to ask the OPAS database complex questions much like the existing Advanced Search area of OPAS, but without selecting individual tables and fields.

AskOPAS incorporates the following three program areas of OPAS:

ACTIVITIES - AskOPAS makes it easier to ask and answer questions such as:·

• On which concerts - only on our main subscription series - between September 1, 1970 and September 1, 2000, did we perform works with solo piano?
• When did soloist ___________ perform with us during the past 10 years when the conductor was either ________ or _________ ?
• How many premieres have we given in all cities other than our “home” city?

WORKS - AskOPAS makes it easier to ask and answer questions such as:

• What works in our OPAS database are between 3 and 6 minutes long and do not exceed our core instrumentation?
• What works in our OPAS database use solo soprano but not chorus?
• What works in our OPAS database use solo violin and have not been performed?
• What 20th century compositions by American composers have we performed?

ARTISTS - AskOPAS makes it easier to ask and answer questions such as:

• Who are the American soloists who have performed in the past 20 years?
• Who are the conductors that performed on our main subscription series in the past five years?

These represent but a few possibilities - the AskOPAS documentation shows samples of these, and related, questions.

Who can use AskOPAS?

AskOPAS can be used on computers that do not have OPAS. AskOPAS uses the same connection to the OPAS database that is used by the standard OPAS “Word” report writer.
This means that staff who do not use OPAS directly, but who can benefit from access to the information therein, can use AskOPAS.

AskOPAS produces search results in either HTML or XML format. Customized reports can be created, and a library of free reports will soon be in the Current Client Downloads area of this web site

What doesn't AskOPAS do?

AskOPAS is a “read-only” application. It makes no changes to your OPAS database.
AskOPAS does not replace any of the built-in OPAS search engines; it merely adds another option to the repertoire of searching possibilities. We expect that the majority of your OPAS searches will still be done through the “Green Screen” (or Basic Search) and Advanced Search functionality.

AskOPAS does not show the results of a search within OPAS itself (as does the Advanced Search). You can view/print the results of an AskOPAS search, but it does not load the results into OPAS

Try AskOPAS -- no cost, no obligation

AskOPAS is available in a fully functioning demonstration copy that expires on January 1, 2005. As this is a program and not simply a report, we don't make it available for direct download.

Please contact Fine Arts Software, and we'll email the link for the program download. This will help us ensure that we send you the version of AskOPAS that is compatible with your orchestra's OPAS database (FoxPro or SQLServer) and allows us to coordinate with your IT department if that is required.

Purchase AskOPAS

AskOPAS requires a one-time license fee only. Support for AskOPAS is part of your general OPAS technical support.

The AskOPAS Manual

The 26-page AskOPAS manual is available in PDF format here. You can download/print the manual by right-clicking the link above and selecting "Save Target As..."

Contact Fine Arts Software to receive a printed copy of the manual in the mail.