Re: Informix Questions

Good info Nils, Why not use I-NET? Is it because of VB? Thanks!!!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cheryl Kendricks Internet:cherylk@prod1.jcdc.doleta.gov OR cherylk@gwysmtp.jcdc.doleta.gov DTSI, Inc. Voice: 1-800-598-5008 Fax: 512-393-7296 Database Administrator - DOL Job Corps San Marcos, Texas ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Tue, 4 Jun 1996, Nils Myklebust wrote: } messwein@erols.com (Mark D. Esswein) wrote: } >Does Informix have a variable-length field larger than 256 characters } >which can be searched on with LIKE searches? I'm looking for } >something that can hold at least 32K of data. I know about the BLOB } >field which can store 2GB but I'm told that this field cannot be } >searched on with LIKE searches. } } Sadly, very sadly, no not currently. It will be available in Universal } server in the form of a datablade with a lot more functionality than } searching with LIKE though. } } >We don't currently have Informix but we are looking at getting } >Informix OnLine Workgroup Server for NT version 7.12. Does this } >product support such a field? } } Again no. } } >We are going to be using ODBC from our Visual Basic front end to } >communicate with the database. Informix says that, in addition to the } >RDBMS software, we will need the ESQL/C product on the client in order } >to communicate. Is this true? Don't I really only need an ODBC } >driver? Which ODBC driver would you recommend? } } There is absolutly and definitly no need for ESQL/C. This is either a } misunderstanding or the usual lack of insight of some Informix people. } The misunderstanding might be if you have Windows NT or 95 and want to } use an ODBC driver that uses the Informix I-Net compontent for } communication. This is only available with ESQL/C. However you } most definitly do not want to use I-Net if it can at all be avoided. } Select an ODBC driver that is independent of I-Net if you can. } } All you need is a good ODBC driver. There are many available. } You might check: } OpenLink at http:\\\\www.openlinksw.com } SQL Retriewer at http:\\\\www.vision.sco.com } and many others. } There may be problems with the NT server component for Informix } OnLine that these need. I haven't checked lately if they are } available. Ask the supliers. } } Do also read the May 1996 issue of Visual Basic Programmers Journal. } They have found up to 22 times performance difference with different } ways of programming database access in Visual Basic. Do it right and } you'll get good performance. } } }