Re: Why use 4GL?

Steven Richardson writes:- > What are the real advantages of using 4GL? > > We are using Informix 4.0 products on RS/6000s and will probably > design a network interface for TCP/IP access, and use X-Windows/Motif > for our user interface. > > Do we lose anything useful? I would suggest this is the wrong question. If you are going to develop your own user and networking interface to the Informix engines then there is nothing in 4GL that you won't be able to duplicate. This is because you are working at a lower level and can build everything that 4GL has. I would suggest that the question should be:- For the applications we are going to produce is it necessary to go to the capital cost of developing our own user/net interface along with the long term cost of maintaining it? Can we get away with using 4gl with occasional c and esql/c extensions along with I-NET and I-Star to achieve pretty well the same results. Without knowing your application requirements I cant give an answer but some pointers. 1 4GL is going to be easier and cheaper to maintain overall. 2 4GL wont provide X terminal facilities like buttons and scroll bars Eg Can users put up with dumb terminal facilities for a cheaper system? 3 I-Net I-Star provide a working net interface to 4GL or ESQL/c 4 Developing your own ? might allow you to use multi threading access to the database. Eg. (Current working facilities against possible better multi thread system. Tuxedo/XA due for availability sometime in the next year should provide Transaction Monitor and multi threads.) Are we going to waste our time doing something that we will be able to buy in?) Hope this helps. Cheers, Jim -------------------------------------------------------------------- Name: Jim Gordon Internet: jgordon@ssf-sys.DHL.COM Company: DHL Systems Inc Phone: (415) 358-5911 Address: 1700 S. Amphlett Blvd. Fax: (415) 571-6429 San Mateo, CA 94402 --------------------------------------------------------------------