Like its predecessor Lotus 1-2-3, Symphony contains a reasonably powerful programming language referred to as its "command language," which can be saved either within a spreadsheet or separately in "libraries" in the form of "macros": lists of menu operations, data, and other macro keywords. However, it was integrated directly into the spreadsheet, simple to query, and fast, and the data could be accessed using VLOOKUP features of the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet engine is the same as the one used in Lotus 1-2-3, once the most popular of its kind.Ĭompared to other word processors of the day such as Micropro WordStar 3.3, WordPerfect 4.2, and Microsoft Word 2.0, Symphony's word processing environment was simple, but effective and uncomplicated.Ĭompared to other database programs of the day- Ashton-Tate's dBase III, MDBS Knowledgeman, Borland Paradox 2.0 and Borland Reflex 1.0-Symphony's FORM environment was weak, lacking the analytical abilities of Reflex and the pseudo relational power of dBase III. Similar and competitive packages included SmartWare, Microsoft Works, Context MBA, Framework, Enable and Ability Office. Symphony was designed to work completely in the standard 640k of conventional memory, supplemented by any Intel 80286 extended memory configured as expanded memory. The other environments-word processing, database, communications, graphics-in essence only change the display format and focus of that data (including available menus, special keys, and functionality), which can be saved and retrieved as. The user is then able to see that changes made in one environment are reflected in others simultaneously, perhaps the package's most interesting feature.Īll the data that Symphony handles is kept in spreadsheet-like cells.
The program allows the screen to be split into panes, showing different views of the underlying data simultaneously, each of which can display any of the five environments. Several "add-in applications" can be "attached" and activated, extending Symphony's capabilities, including a powerful macro manager, a document outliner, a spell-checker, statistics, various communications configurations, and a tutorial, which demonstrates Symphony usage by running macros. * FORM, a table-based database management system * SHEET, a spreadsheet program very similar to 1-2-3 Using ALT-F10 the user can alternate among the five "environments" of the program, each a rendering of the same underlying data. Symphony is a DOS program that is loaded entirely into memory when started. Lotus Jazz on the Apple Macintosh was a sibling product.Īlthough 1-2-3 had originally been billed as an integrated product with spreadsheet, database and graphing functions (hence the name "1-2-3"), competing products such as AppleWorks provided a more comprehensive level of integration and additional functionality Symphony was Lotus' response.
#Lotus symphony program software
The first incarnation of Lotus Symphony was an integrated software package for DOS released by Lotus Development as a follow-on to its popular spreadsheet program, Lotus 1-2-3.
#Lotus symphony program free
Originally released in July 1984 as an integrated software application for DOS, IBM revived the Symphony name for a new office suite that was first released free of charge in 2007. IBM Lotus Symphony is a suite of applications for creating, editing, and sharing text, spreadsheet, and other documents.
#Lotus symphony program windows
Operating_system = Linux or Windows (Mac version announced)