Re: Informix 4gl vs Powerbuilderish products?

In article <4dttlr$lmt@cssun.mathcs.emory.edu>, Mancunian1@aol.com says... > >I work in a comany using 4gl, online 5.0, dumb terminals, 50+ multi-users. > >Does anyone have any thoughts on Informix 4gl vs Powerbuilderish products? > >Here are a few of mine for you to agree / disagree with. > >1. With 50 data entry multi-users using the same 4ge, 50 $300 terminals is a >very cheap alternative to 50 PCs all with powerbuiler Enterprise loaded. A >definite plus for 4gl. > >2. Powerbuilder has a much more user friendly interface and is easier to >program (think of what a pain input arrays are in 4gl). > >3. Powerbuilder is Future 4gl is past. (just look at the emphasis, or lack >of, Informix put on 4gl these days.) > >Which way would you go? > Depends on what you want. If cost is important, give #1 serious consideration. Relatively speaking, it's about the same amount of effort to write stuff in 4GL or in a GUI tool (Powerbuilder, Delphi, VB, New Era, etc). If you want a GUI interface just because it's more user friendly (and looks nicer). Powerbuilder isn't necessarily the future. Informix is putting a lot of effort into client-server solutions because that is where the market is right now. If you really want a GUI/client server solution, don't dump your Informix database. Watcom SQL doesn't have the ooomph to handle 50+ users that Online has. Write a GUI front-end and have your Informix on the back end.