Need help choosing Informix products
We are developing an application for a client and would appreciate some assistance in selecting Informix development tools. The client is a Value Added Reseller (VAR) for Informix, and as such has the following products at our disposal: - Online Dynamic Server (ver 6.0) Database Engine - Informix-SE (ver 6.0) Database Engine - ESQL/C (ver 6.0) API - I-4GL and I-4GL FORMS (ver 4.1) Application Development Suite - I-SQL (ver 4.1) Application Development Suite - Informix Menus (ver 4.0) Menu Building Tool Some of the "knowns"... - The development environment is an RS/6000 model 25S running AIX 3.2.5. - The development database will be small (10 Tables, a few hundred rows). - The application will be written in C. - The application will most likely have a character-based user-interface. - The production environment is a Stratus/FTX-310 running FTX (UNIX 4.MP). - The production environment WILL be using the Online Server (ver 6.0). Some of our specific questions: 1) Since our development database is so small, we are inclined to do the development on the SE server. Are there any reasons why we should avoid SE in favor of Online? (Other than the restrictions such as no VARCHAR, and 10 character database names) We need to weigh any reasons we can solicit against the additional overhead of setting up the Online Server. (Is it a LOT more overhead?) 2) We are leery about utilizing proprietary fourth gen. development tools such as 4-GL and 4-GL FORMS. However, if a great number of people sing praises regarding these tools, we might be swayed. The question is - should we continue our search for a well-established screen-handler such as JAM (anyone got any other suggestions?), or look to 4-GL and 4-GL FORMS for our screen handling. (Although, they don't appear very robust at first glance.) 3) Does anyone have any specific warnings, admonitions, praise etc. regarding the other products I listed above? (i.e. - ESQL/C, I-SQL, Informix Menus) We'd appreciate any feedback we can get. Thanks ..........Tim Ward