Re: NewEra Repository and PVCS? (Repeat)
In article <40qgqv$p4e@wormhole.cognos.com>, brownd@Cognos.COM wrote: [snipped for brevity] >Informix seemed to say that the NewEra repository would be built >using an OO database (Versant was mentioned, I believe) and would >be integrated with PVCS and SCCS (and possibly other products). > >Does anybody know more about this, or how I can get more >information? > >For example, what does "integrated" mean? (I know that whatever >it is will be "seamless" :-) Will it "just" be a way of controlling >team development by using check-in/check-out/copy-out, and perhaps >of re-constructing a project as of some point in history? >Or will there be some way that I can "read" a history of deltas >to the original object? > The non-OO PVCS product has a few nice features for the serious development team, that would definitely be needed for the management of objects with an OO project. The core thinking you should adopt about OO is: Do not apply the past concepts to OO, except when those concepts are at their simplest, or "objects" :-) . For example, don't assume a relational report writer will meet the needs of an OO application. I know of one company who did not think this through, bought the relational-based report writer, and will soon find out that a relational report writer does not necessarily apply to an OO application. They might get lucky on a few tables, but I'll believes it when I sees it. The same concern should be towards your current understanding of non-OO projects and "SCCS" products. For example, RCS can do most, if not all of the tasks many projects will ever need, the same for SCCS. But for Object Orientated projects? I think not. Maybe for a very simple application. Obviously the need for an OO-based source manager is real enough or one wouldn't be coming. Back to the non-OO world again, to buy PVCS and use it without ever using some of the other features is a waste of money and you'd be better off staying with RCS or SCCS. PVCS is a very comprehensive product, but requires a very serious approach to source code control to get the "added value" out of it. The configuration management and build process are a world of their own. But to apply these products to the OO world will mean a change in the product or a new product--a change of how they behave, and their intent. To simply manage source code is not enough, the OO world has to manage objects as well. These objects have to be accessable from a variety of points in the life cycle of the project, including the report writers. :-) >I'm trying to picture how PVCS or similar products, >that work with "text" source files typically, can be useful >with things that are stored as objects in an OORDBMS. Will there >be some intermediate text format that is exported from NewEra? >Or should I just expect that the NewEra objects will be treated as >'binary' things by the source code control system? > It will hopefully be comprehensive enough to service the entire life cylce of an application, including the part where actual users will actually use the OO application, and produce actual daily work from the data they will actually get with the OO interface. :-) I'm cynical, but my confidence is still high for INFORMIX. I know they can do it. Tim -- \\\\|// (O|O) ==============================---o00--(_)--00o---============================ Tim Schaefer tschaefe@gate.net http://www.gate.net/~tschaefe Make America great again: Abolish the IRS and reinstitute public hangings =============================================================================