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In article <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 (Stuart Tener) 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. However, I >might further point out, this is not something to brag about. > >Informix trys to sell itself as a 4GL. BUT -- IT IS NOT. [...a somewhat colorful argument to support the above statement...] >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. Perhaps I'm missing something, but this doesn't seem a very nice way to treat someone who is trying to be helpful. >Our world is coming to a sad state of affairs. I think I may actually agree with you on this point. >> -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 >> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Stuart Blake Tener, n3gwg > smail: 132 N. Clark Drive, #103 ; Beverly Hills, CA 90211- > email: stuart@jane.sas.upenn.edu (internet primary) > email: tener@cs.widener.edu (internet secondary) -- = Todd A. Bernhardt = =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= = = Wheaton College = "Might have been is but ashes upon the wind." = = bernha@david.wheaton.edu = --Daughter of the Empire = = (708) 752-5232 = =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= =