Re: VB+Informix
In article <3ro6vr$3k2@blarg1.blarg.com>, ej@blarg.com (EJ) wrote: > I've asked this question several times in several different ways, but > either my message isn't getting out, or I'm getting ignored :). > > Are ODBC drivers available for Informix? Specifically, I need to write > a Windows client to an Informix 7.1 online system. Who makes these drivers? > Is using Informix with VB any different than any other ODBC database? > > Is there any advantage whatsoever to using New Era instead of VB > for client access? > > I'd love any response whatsoever, even a 'quit annoying us with stupid > questions'. I'd RTFM, but I don't even know which FM to read... My (admittedly hard to find if you don't know where to look) FAQ says: 6.3 Where can I get an ODBC driver? * Q+E Software provide the most well-known ODBC interface to Informix (I think Q+E are an "InSync" Informix partner), but seem to be the most maligned on c.d.i. - if only because it needs I-NET and I-Star, and so is the most expensive. * Visionware have a product, SQL-Retreiver which does *NOT* require I-NET on your PC, More information from info@visionware.co.uk. Is quite cheap but it implements almost no level 2 ODBC API calls (which you probably don't need) * VMARK software have HyperSTAR, which runs under SCO Unix. More information from lgz001@aol.com (Larry Zechter) * EDA/SQL from Information Builders * SequeLink from Techgnosis * DAL Server for Unix from Pacer Software. More information from pgk@pacersoft.com (Paul Kamp) * OpenLink Software have ODBC drivers for Informix S.E/Online 5.x,6.x,7.x. This product does NOT require I-NET on the PC. More Information can be obtained from the following sources ;- Compuserve; GO WINAPF Compuserve Mail : 72662,3403 Email: 72662.3403@compuserve.com Fax: ++44-81-681-7702 Tel: ++44-81-681-7701 * There is also a solution from Gupta Here's some observations about various ODBC drivers from Robert Lore: From: rlo@fmsc.com.au (Robert Lore) Date: 29 Nov 1994 00:03:10 -0500 So you also found that Q+E is [expletive deleted]! There are two products, both by English companies (co-incidence ?). One is called SQL-Retreiver, by VisionWare, (who also do a very good X-windows on Microsoft Windows), and OpenLink by OpenLink Software. VisionWare's SQL-Retreiver has some minor problems, insofar that it leaves around dead SPL processes on the server causing Informix to forbid more logins because it thinks there are already too many people logged in. It will not return result sets from stored procedures. You can use sp's for insert, update and delete, however. OpenLink does not have these problems, it is faster. We are using both concurrently, and they co-exist without any problems. We are leaning toward going with OpenLink, and will retire the VisionWare after about another 4 weeks. We are a development house and our first live site using Informix will be January 1995 with a 100 user licence for the ODBC. If you are in a similar boat, you will find either product heaps cheaper cos. you don't have to pay USD$300.00 for each pc to have I-NET and Q+E, or I-Star for the Server. Both products remove this requirement, they use remote procedure calls (RPC's). Also either of these products is heaps faster than Q+E, flames invited, we have tried all three, so there! Both are priced very similarly. In both instances their technical suport is excellent, you will speak to the people who work next to the ones who wrote the stuff. > Thanks a million. You're welcome. ------------------------------------,------------------------------------------ Kerry Sainsbury, kerry@kcbbs.gen.nz | THE INFORMIX FAQ v2.2 Mar 95 Quanta Systems, Auckland | kcbbs.gen.nz:/informix/informix.[faq|apx] New Zealand. Work: +64 9 377-4473 | mathcs.emory.edu:/pub/informix/faq/ " " Home: +64 9 279-3571 | http://www.garpac.com/informix.html