Re: Porting 4GL Version 2.x To 6.x

Mike Segel wrote: } } Darryl Priest wrote: } > } > I am involved in porting a few applications on AT&T 3B Systems using } > version 2.10 engines and 4GL versions 1.10 and 2.10 to OnLine 7.x, on a } > Sun 3000(not sure yet), with 4GL version 6.x and I was wondering if } > there are any functions/functionality that existed in the older versions } > but does not in the newest version? I don't believe that any major } > changes have occured BUT I know that small things change from version to } > version and what I'm afraid of, is that maybe old functions changed } > names, functionality, etc. Any help, or pointers, will be appreciated. } > } > -Darryl Priest } } Yeah, } Do a code review and most likely re-write it. } I recommend this for two major reasons: I disagree. See below. } } 1) Earlier versions of Informix had bugs and you had to implement } work arounds. These work arounds could have slowed down the } program and have added to overhead. } I can't think of problems in 1.1/2.1 that were significant enough that any code work-arounds are that big of a deal. Also, considering those work-arounds (and whatever theoretical performance hit is taken) have been lived with, this is a non-issue in light of the performance of the new machine. } 2) You are talking about a 10 year old platform. Perhaps your } business rules have changed and the program should be looked } at. } I've got clients that are still using unmodified programs I wrote in Informix 1.1/2.1 some 10+ years ago. Their business hasn't changed, and they don't feel the need to spend (read: waste) money updating. That's fine. } You will find that most of the code is portable. However, you will run } into problems with your screen handling routines. Especially the } array types. } ??? Explain this. If the company has taken the posture of making the transition cost as minimal as possible, then it does not make sense to re-write the software. Might as well change the whole client/server paradigm to what works best for them then. It is possible for software to have a long life expectancy. After re-compiling the older code under the new version (was 4.1 then), I found no problems running the apps (that I can recall). In fact, the apps ran without a recompile, (the menus appeared at the bottom of the screen, however). I wouldn't recommend not recompiling, though.