Re: Heading toward 4GL++

In article <1992Sep2.174618.3753@bjudev.UUCP> mfox@bjudev.UUCP (Mike Fox) writes: > I would like to structure the code in development so that the transition to > Informix 4GL++ is as smooth as possible. Does anyone have an idea what > Informix is planning to do in this area? Quite a bit was said about future directions for 4GL at the Informix User Conference in July. Working within the bounds of what was said there, it would be fair to say that 4GL is going to be enhanced into a very sound, very conventional, object-oriented programming language. For example, if you know Pascal and can follow how Apple migrated that language smoothly into Object Pascal, you have the concept (not to say the feature sets are the same; they are not). But you can pick up any of the 100's of books about OO design and OO programming and start reading, because sound design for *any* OO language will also be sound design practice for 4GL. It is said that you can "do" OOP in any language, even assembler. So in fact you can start designing 4GL apps using OOD techniques right now. There is a definite "object-oriented frame of mind" that you need to acquire in order to exploit this technology, but you don't have to wait for 4GL to begin getting into that frame of mind. > For example we could at the present time conceive of an "object" as > > a module of code ----| > a table -------------|-- together, an object > a form -------------| > > I know this isn't strictly an object since any table cannot be bound to a > certain piece of code. Nevertheless it does begin to imitate an object in > that it has an entity (table) and its behavior (code). The so-called objects > would be reusable among programs. You have the general notions, or at least the buzzwords, so you have begun reading the right books. You might want to think less in terms of "modules" of code and more in terms of functions. A "behavior" is a function; a "module" is a convenient grouping of source lines but is not a good design unit. I can say from experience that the more practice you get in applying the techniques of "abstraction" and "encapsulation," the better.