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In <140139@netnews.upenn.edu> stuart@jane.sas.upenn.edu (Stuart Tener) writes: >> >> In comp.databases.informix you write: >> >> >This is probably a relatively simple programming problem for the >> >experienced informix programmers in this group, but here goes. >> >> >Let us say for the sake of argument that I have a file which is plain >> >ascii text. Each line of text is 50 characters in length, and there are >> >5 lines in this file. >> >> >How could I load this file line by line into an array where each element >> >of the array (defined as 50 characters I guess) would hold a single line >> >of the file. >> >> >Then, how would I do this if I didn't know the length of each record or >> >how many there were? >> >IN RESPONCE I RECEIVED THIS LETTER FROM MR. SARGENT >> As you may have deduced from Dennis' response to the net, this is not a >> very Informixy way of going about things. >> >> The old Informix hand's response would usually be "Why??? You appear to >> be trying to bend the product to do what it was not designed to be good >> at. Why is your text not stored as a BLOB or in a table?" (which would >> be the Informixy way to approach the kind of problem that *usually* >> underlies your question). >Well in no uncertain terms I cannot argue with the statement that I >bending a product to what it was not designed to be good at. I think you may be getting confused. Just because you and I feel that it *should* have been designed to be good at it, does *not* mean that it was! I am confident that the designers would agree with my analysis, even though they may even have come to regret it since. > However, I >might further point out, this is not something to brag about. I agree. I've never caught Informix doing so, have you? >Informix trys to sell itself as a 4GL. BUT -- IT IS NOT. I just That's a semantic argument that could go on for ever! Who is there to arbitrate? >evaluated informix to see what it could really do (since I am doing some >informix development for someone else, I was thinking of buying it and >doing the development on my own hardware). >Informix is a database with a 4GL development system. But it itself is >not a 4GL. A true 4GL could generate code without me having to use any >databases. I guess that's semantics again. I can't think of many so-called "4GL"s that don't have the same or similar restrictions. > Which by the way, is what I wanted to do. Well I guess that confirms it. That's not what Informix-4GL was designed to be good at. Shame, isn't it? > Silly me, when I >heard 4GL I beleived it. I'm amazed and impressed that you know exactly what to expect and what not to expect when you hear "4GL". Everyone I come across seems to mean something different by the term! > And if Informix does see this as a problem, and >everyone keeps doing things the olde "informixy" way, how will the >product improve? The two are not inconsistent. But it also irritates me that flat file i/o (I assume that is the deficiency which has prompted this rant?) seems to get pushed into an ever receding future release. >Imagine what would happen if say...uh...people who don't give a flying >f%ck about the database aspect just didn't like writing in curses. Using >4GL might be a G_Dsend. Do think informix would be particullary pissed >if they all of sudden found a way to sell more product? Not at all. But I would have thought there were better or cheaper alternatives. I wouldn't buy a pneumatic road drill to drill a hole in my bedroom wall. But I'm sure the manufacturer wouldn't be particularly p****d off if I did. They'd probably be equally delighted to sell me the compressor to make it work! >Sometimes I just sit and wonder how people can be programmers, and be >unwilling to be creative. BUT -- maybe then you are not a programmer. I >don't klnow. But I can say this, Informix could stand to make alot of >money if people could use there product for things other than just database >applications. Like spreadsheeting, perhaps? :-) :-) :-) >Well I guess I can't complain too much, after all how creative must >someone be if they are going to use a 4GL anyway? -- I guess the more >4GL's we see, the more programmers I will run into like you who ask why >rather than how. If you don't ask why, you are unlikely ever to find the best how (except by accident). I never even consider employing a programmer until I have convinced myself that he knows how to ask why! Remember the old cartoons of how different systems "professionals" would implement a child's swing? >Our world is coming to a sad state of affairs. Tell that to the Bosnians! graeme -- Disclaimer: The author's opinions are his own, and not necessarily those of Pyramid Technology Ltd. or Pyramid Technology Inc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -m------- Graeme Sargent Voice: +44 (0)252 373035 ---mmm----- Senior Database Consultant Fax : +44 (0)252 373135 -----mmmmm--- Pyramid Technology Ltd. Telex: Tell who??? -------mmmmmmm- Farnborough, Hants GU14 7PL Email: graeme@pyra.co.uk --------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have the technology. The tricky bit is learning how to use it.