Re: some basic problems

Lewis, very briefly: If consultant won't tell you (or doesn't know) about client packages (Connectivity and CLI), make sure your supervisor fires him. 4GL is not-much-past-3rd-generation language, proprietary to Informix. It has usual 3GL control constructs with data structures related to database (e.g. you can declare a record to be 'like' a row of particular table). It supports direct inclusion of SQL statements, with decent handling of cursors and such. There is rudimentary CUI (character based, but form oriented user interface) functionality, like menus, forms, field entry and exit processing etc. The thing comes (or used to come, I haven't worked with it for quite a long time) in two versions: one compiled to pseudo code interpreted by runtime system (they called it RDS, for 'Rapid Development System', something quite far cry from modern RAD tools), which also cane with interactive debugger; and other, which compiled to C and then to native code. ESQL/C is actually a pre-compiler, which enables you to use SQL from your C code. It can be used as is (for development of database aplications in C), or it can be used as a kind of 'glue' between third-party development environments and database. Actually, even 4GL compiles to it in a intermediary step. I hope this helps a bit, but I am affraid that there is no substitute to good old RTFM. -- Dragi Raos 4-MATE Information Engineering (http://www.4mate.hr) Zagreb, Croatia "Lewis Kok" <lkok@comark.com> wrote in article <5lf9op$c1m@cssun.mathcs.emory.edu>... > I am picking up HP-UX and informix at the same time. I knew my > questions may have asked many times, but if someone can point me to > the right place to move on, I would appreciate it. > > We have a consultant who set up HP K210 running 10.20 and informix > 7.21. There are lots of cdrom name connectivity and CLI left in the > computer room. But I don't see any cd says install or setup. Am I > missing something? My supervisor told me the consultant wouldn't tell > me anything??? Can someone explain to me what they are and how they > work with the database engine BRIEFLY(I have to adjust myself to these > terms). What is the difference between ESQL/SOL and 4GL? Are there any > web sites to look for FAQ? Many thanks. > > Lewis Kok > lkok@comark.com > >