Re: How informix applications are typical built ?

Adam Williams wrote: >>> OLEDB\\ODBC\\JDBC\\ADO.NET >>> 4GL >>> ESQL\\C >> Some programming languages support Informix connectivity using >> third-party modules that use some of the above under the hood. PHP and >> Python have Informix modules that are implemented in ESQL/C, > > Yep. > >>> I'm interested to know what is the most common way for the application >>> to be >>> built. >> The plural of "anecdote" is not "data", but here goes. I use primarily >> Informix 4GL (and derivatives/successors), some PHP, and whenever I can, >> I use Python. The mix is probably 95% 4GL, 3% PHP, and 2% Python. > > 1. Lots of PHP on intranet/extranet sites using PHP's Informix support. > 2. Some .NET apps using ODBC connections ('native' .NET connectivity > only available on Win32. We use these when we want either a local > client or PHP performance just sucks too much for the task [ putting on > flame retardant suit now to protect myself from wild-eyed unshaven PHP > fundamentalists - probably the biggest drawback to using PHP :) ]. Good point! PHP was/is notoriously slow depending on how complicated the developer can make their program. Add a lot of obfuscated code, and it can get sluggish. Add a lot of objects, same thing. But there is hope. High-performance sites ( external or internal ) typically install the Zend Optimizer to increase performance, so this is less of a problem today than it was not too long ago. You can also generate pre-compiled code as well if you buy Zend's compiler, making a big difference in the speed of the application. But it also depends on a good back-end database to make it all work well. Pre-compiling does add some serious speed though, it's highly recommended not only for speed, but also the capability to encrypt your code into bytecode. Zend is probably the highest price choice out there, there are others. They recently dropped the price a lot to compete with other companies offering basically the same thing for a lot less. ( Source Guardian for one ). > 3. JDBC from workflow engine. Do things in workflow engines count as > applications? > 4. We have a bunch of old 4GL apps (Ick!!!). We occasionally have to > modify them [fragile little bastards] but I'd never develop anything new > in that environment. > Neither would I. It's a lot easier to build new apps with modern tools that you can find people to support them. 4GL while certainly a good tool is extremely limited compared to other options out there. But it should be noted that without 4GL, Informix would have never made it at all. Today, Informix will go nowhere until it teams up with a really great application environment that developers won't have to pay an arm-and-a-leg for, and that means typically the open source options like PHP, Perl, Python, and others like Java and C++. But compiler tools offer less portability. The bottom line today means offering a tool with the database that can get developers interested in enough to write applications for, since applications drive databases, not the other way around.