The HEC-DSS database format is not that of a standard relational database (such as Access or dBase), so specialized libraries are required to file and retrieve records, and to query the database. HEC has a Fortran-callable library of routines, but I am not certain about their availability outside the Corps.

Regarding DSS Editor with GUI: The California Department of Water Resources has such a program, called Vista. It is explained and available here:
http://modeling.water.ca.gov/delta/m...sta/index.html
It is written in Java and runs on most platforms (Solaris, Windows NT, Linux, etc.) There is a list server available for support.

David Ford, Ph.D., P.E.