Re: Why there is no controlfile in Informix like Oracle ?

Art S. Kagel wrote: > 1121On Wed, 01 Sep 2004 13:00:17 -0400, Jean Sagi wrote: .... > For example you say that one cannot do anything apart from SQL in dbaccess > such as "procedural things like fetching from a cursor (you have to use SPL > for this)". This is precisely my point! It's not that the tool is lacking in > this area, certainly there are other areas where I agree dbaccess is lacking, > it's that you want to use the wrong tool. It's like you have a screwdriver > and a nail and you are complaining that it is very hard to push the nail in > with the screwdriver blade especially as the one keeps slipping off of the > other. You want the screwdriver company to please make the back of the handle > flat so you can use it to push the nail in more easily. After all, my shoe > has a flat heal I can use to push the nail in! > > I am a big fan of using the right tool for the job. When I edit source, I > use emacs for day-to-day code writing and editing. However, when I have to > make a bulk change to the code, perhaps to change a variable name in old code > to meet new naming standards, and without changing the same word in the wrong > place, I resort to using vi or sed. The right tool for the job. > > The correct tool for procedural things like fetching from a cursor, is a > procedural language. For this you should be using ESQL/C, 4GL, Perl with > DBD/DBI, Java, or even <GASP> SPL for these jobs NOT complaining that > Informix's SQL inplementation does not provide programming features features! > As for your complaint that you have to use SPL for this, I say, "but that's > the correct tool to use!", among others. ..... Not to blow my own trumpet, but if you want a dbaccess like tool with cursor control, placeholders, variables, hashes, control statements, input and output streams, interaction with the OS, 4gl & c formatting, API for external functions, ability to access multiple vendors database engines at the same time and a host of other goodies, you might want to have a look at my SQSL language, at http://www.4glworks.com/4wrcsqll.htm#FGWLANGREF It currently sports a curses (4GL) interface - cli and X interface are in the pipeline and will be out one of these years, depending on my mood^H^H^H^H schedule -- Ciao, Marco ______________________________________________________________________________ Marco Greco /UK /IBM Standard disclaimers apply! Informix faq http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/informix.htm 4glworks http://www.4glworks.com Informix on Linux http://www.4glworks.com/ifmxlinux.htm sending to informix-list

On Thu, 02 Sep 2004 05:02:50 -0400, Marco Greco wrote: > Art S. Kagel wrote: >> 1121On Wed, 01 Sep 2004 13:00:17 -0400, Jean Sagi wrote: > .... >> For example you say that one cannot do anything apart from SQL in dbaccess >> such as "procedural things like fetching from a cursor (you have to use SPL >> for this)". This is precisely my point! It's not that the tool is lacking >> in this area, certainly there are other areas where I agree dbaccess is >> lacking, it's that you want to use the wrong tool. It's like you have a <SNIP> > ..... > Not to blow my own trumpet, but if you want a dbaccess like tool with cursor > control, placeholders, variables, hashes, control statements, input and > output streams, interaction with the OS, 4gl & c formatting, API for > external functions, ability to access multiple vendors database engines at > the same time and a host of other goodies, you might want to have a look at > my SQSL language, at > > http://www.4glworks.com/4wrcsqll.htm#FGWLANGREF Bravo Marco! Yet another RIGHT tool! Art S. Kagel > It currently sports a curses (4GL) interface - cli and X interface are in > the pipeline and will be out one of these years, depending on my > mood^H^H^H^H schedule >