Re: [Hardhats-members] HISP and VistA

[chuck5566]

The short answer is yes.  VistA has a specific set of API's through which the various other components can interact with the "database system" and/or the underlying OS.  Part of the VistA installation is informing VistA which "database system" is being used so that VistA can then set up the appropriate API's. A little more accurately, VistA relies on M, a programming environment, mostly used as a database system.  Cache is but one implementation of M.  InterSystems does have a free, single-user, version of Cache available for download (http://www.intersystems.com/cache/downloads/index.html).    Another implementation of M - GT.M - is available as open-source at http://sourceforge.net/projects/sanchez-gtm.  You can also obtain a live cd of VistA running on GT.M/Linux at http://sourceforge.net/projects/worldvista/.   Hope this little bit of droning helps.   On Nov 3, 2005, at 9:03 AM, Simon Andresen wrote: Hello. We are two master students working on a project tied to an open source health information system (HISP) at the University of Oslo (http://hisp.org ), Norway. The aim of our project is to "explore and test free and open source software programmes for use in the health sector, specifically for use in hospitals and medical institutions." And we are trying to evaluate the possibility of integrating parts of VistA. And therefore we have some questions we were hoping the community could help us answer: -          As we understand it VistA relies on the use of the Caché database system. And Caché is licensed. Is it at all possible to alter VistA or parts of VistA for use with an altogether different no licensed DBMS?   Thanks in advance.   Kind Regards,   Simon Andresen and Jean C. Wadja