PowerBuilder and Informix

We are evaluating the use of PowerBuilder 9 for building fairly basic database applications hitting an Informix 9.x server. Some of this is re-writing/re-working a 4GL application. I would like to know if there are many Informix/PowerBuilder developers out there and if they recommend PB as a development environment. Some keys: - low number of users (<15) - need quick development/deployment cycle - all clients are Windows 2000; multi-platform would be nice, but Java/Swing seems to be more complicated to do well. - fat/rich client preferred; web interface too limiting - do not care about .Net, prefer to avoid. - we use Linux servers for web, network, IDS, etc. I know some about 4Js/Genero, but it seems way too expensive, especially with per client fees. Also, it seems to be a niche product with no books, little internet information, etc. Hopefully PowerBuilder isn't falling into that problem as well. Is it being consumed by .Net and Delphi and Java?

sdurity@cornercap.com (Sean R. Durity) writes: > I know some about 4Js/Genero, but it seems way too expensive, > especially with per client fees. Also, it seems to be a niche product > with no books, little internet information, etc. Hopefully > PowerBuilder isn't falling into that problem as well. Is it being > consumed by .Net and Delphi and Java? Personally, I'm exploring using Eclipse/Ant/Java on Linux to replace my 4gl apps. The only "problem" (if you can call it one) for me so far had been that command line argument processing isn't considered "100% pure" Java... so I have to choose between using either property files or a gui interface. If it all works out for me, then the price and portability certainly can't be beat!! -- Forte International, P.O. Box 1412, Ridgecrest, CA 93556-1412 Ronald Cole <ronald@forte-intl.com> Phone: (760) 499-9142 President, CEO Fax: (760) 499-9152 My GPG fingerprint: C3AF 4BE9 BEA6 F1C2 B084 4A88 8851 E6C8 69E3 B00B