Re: Are we crazy

<kmart!jregep@uunet.uu.net> wrote(edited): > >Scott writes. >>We have just found out that we need to develop a package very quickly. From >>past experience, we believe that it would take about 8-10 weeks to do the >>job in RDS/4GL (using our own 4GL code generators!). The powers that be >>want it done in about 4 weeks and with Windoze front ends! (ie telnet session >>isn't good enough!). Much of the tricky processing etc can be handled with >>SPL and triggers but our experience in developing Windows Client Server stuff >>is fairly limited (have done masses of 4GL stuff though). We need to work >>out the best way of doing it. There will be plenty of "Non-trivial" screens >>to write. The following is a list of some of the possibilities. We would >>appreciate any thoughts on these options: >> >>1) NewEra >>2) ODBC - Visual C++ } >> Visual Basic } - They already own dev tools for these 3. >>3) Powerbuilder } >>4) Magic >>5) Run away to a South Pacfic Island. >>6) Other..................... >> > (OO discussion deleted) > >Hmmm... Option 6... >I put this mail away for a couple of hours and I've been thinking[look out!] > >Microsoft Access is very easy to learn and is relativly cheap (is this >where your Visual basic is?). This will build your quick-and-dirty >Goo-ey windoze application. You're suppose to be able to access other >DBMSs too (hence the name I guess). I wondered if someone might mention Access. I don't have much GUI experience to compare it to, but from what I've seen of Access: It's easy to learn (relatively). It's inexpensive (very). It has a large and powerful language behind all the end-user-friendly stuff (much to my surprise). It can connect to an Informix back end (with the OpenLink ODBC I am currently trying, you don't even need I-Net on either end). So far so good with my ODBC testing. The comp.databases.ms-access group is very helpful and very busy. The MS support is *free*. That is, with the cost of a long-distance call, which I'm sure your client would pay for. My hold time has generally been less than a minute, with the most being about 15 minutes. MS support was able to answer my newbie questions very easily and sometimes can even get the hard ones. MS has an extensive "Knowledge Base" of real situations and solutions (with code provided when needed). There are tons of Access books on the market (which I have yet to read or even look at). No, I'm not an Access bigot. I have just been pleasantly surprised by Access 2.0. And I come from a background of 4GL programming and writing my own code generators and all that you spoke of above. I would give it a look, if not for the do-all end-all mission-critical application, at least for a rapid prototype as suggested above. rodney