Re: Informix 4GL. A Future?

In article <D77z4E.E9H@cix.compulink.co.uk> jdunning@cix.compulink.co.uk ("John Dunning") writes: >From: jdunning@cix.compulink.co.uk ("John Dunning") >Subject: Re: Informix 4GL. A Future? >Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 07:21:50 GMT >I was interested by your comments. I am running NewEra at home and found >it very simple to both install and use - although I am only running >NewEra against Informix-SE for Windows. Hi John. It is probably true that avoiding the documentation is a better way to go - tht is if you can get the product installed. However, if the product's fails on installation there is no recourse except to look at the docmentation. Then the problems begin. Just to give you a brief summary of some of the problems we ran into installing NewEra with Windows. 1) Documentation states that network software (TCP/IP or IPX/SPX) is required. It is not. 2) In one manual it states that Microsoft Visual C++ 1.5 is required. In another it clearly states that only Visual C++ 1.0 or Borland C 3.1. 3) In pre-installation instructions it states that before installing NewEra for Windows you must load the network software. This is wrong as we later found out. The package needs to be run LOCAL. 4) They give specific instructions to upgrade FTP software (not required and wasted effort). 5) Refers to a manual "Twenty Minute Guide to Developing Applications" which is not shipped with the product. 6) Next few steps in NewEra manual discusses loading the database in the server. Omits all necessary steps to run the database server local. For this, one must figure out that they have to go to the Informix-SE for Windows Manual which gives instructions which are also all wrong. For example it gives instructions on how to turn off password protection but this option doesn't work. 7) Database turns out to be password protected even after protection is turned off. After an hour and a half of reloading and guessing we figure out that the password is informix (just plain old guess work). 8) Scripts to build "sports" database are run and promptly bombs out giving a message that there is something wrong with the installation (no kidding!!! <g>). The scripts are not functioning correctly since tables that should be being dropped are not. By this time is is becoming very clear that Informix never put the product through any kind of usability or quality control tests. (Up until this point I was hoping that things may fall into place). 9) Manual gives instructions to move sports database to another directory so it is not deleted on each shutdown operation. Does not say anything about how to acutally accomplish this task. It is impossible that anyone actually went through the manuals and did any usability tests. Even a few minutes with the manuals reveals that the product is in chaos. I have no idea how you were able to install it but the consultant who was working with me (who has extensive experience with Informix and spent his Sunday wasting his time with me trying to figure out this product) just left perplexed and amused that a vendor could ship a product in such poor condition. We have seen many poorly packaged products in our evaluation efforts but none that was this expensive and this poorly productized. I think that the product is clearly not getting any attention from Informix. Probably because they are putting all of their resources into the high-end, MPP querying efforts. This is fine, but they shouldn't ask for money for products which they are not serious about - nor should they waste anyone's time with poor documenation and installation procedures. I would have much rather spent my spent with my eight year old son rather than trying to figure out what password they put on their database <g>. Hope this gives you some idea of the problems we ran into. Regards, Rich Richard Finkelstein, Performance Computing, Inc.