Re: Informix V's DAO

I didn't ever see the original post, but here are some comments based on the quoted material billy@west.co.za (Billy Wheeler) wrote: :> :> For small database systems is it more advantagous to go for an informix system :> or to create a program using something like MS Visual C++ with DAO ? (other :> than cost ?) Has anybody experience using both these methods and could offer a :> comparison. :This is really a matter of opinion, and I'm very opinionated... :-) But DAO means only Data Access Objects or something like that. You still need a database. So the real question is should one go with MS-Access, MS SQLServer, OnLine for Workgroups, OnLine, SE or whatever, and then use the appropriate tools. MS Visual C++ with DAO could be used with all these databases. If you don't absolutly need the power of C++ for some processing tasks, you must be out of your mind to even think of it. You use Visual Basic, Delphi or even NewEra for regular database development. To start something completely new with 4GL on Unix seems a little out of place if there aren't special reasons for that. There are good reasons for having the database on Unix, although for a small one like yours Windows NT might be a very good alternative. (Larger once also work, but there isn't as much experience with them yet, and very large once don't yet work.) :> By 'small' I mean about a general database containing 30,000 members details. :> (I assume this is small compare to some systems ?). The users of the system :> would want to do basic queries and searches but would want a system that would :> be around for a good few years. :> On the database side with the Universal Server coming up there is realy not much doubt that Informix is the best way to go. As Billy so rightly says your requirements will grow. :The problem is that invariably these small databases grow when people see what :can be achieved. You will then be left with an inflexible complex set of data :structures that are impossible to grow/alter... :And the cost you save between MSVC and Informix will disappear over time :between the extra time necessary to develop and the greater complexity of :maintenance. :All IMHO, YAMMV, etc. Nils.Myklebust@ccmail.telemax.no NM Data AS, P.O.Box 9090 Gronland, N-0133 Oslo, Norway My opinions are those of my company