Re: NewEra vs. Developer2000

Yes, and the latest GUI look is that buttons are 2D until you move the mouse over them. Only then do they become 3D (ref. Netscape Communicator (ver. 4.0 prerelase) and Microsoft Internet Explorer). You may or may not think this is a good idea, but the point is that the GUI have developed rather rapidly under MS Windows. If you don't program according to the latest developments, every user will see that your program looks oldfashioned (compared to their other programs). Also a large number of these GUI developments have enhanced both the ease of use and comfort level of the users. Even if you shouldn't happen to agree with that, you will still want to follow these designs to make your program at least look modern. With NewEra ver. 3.0 OLE Controls (OCX's) are finally supported so it should be reasonably simple to include modern control types. You have finally gained the option of including controls from third parties. This was allways one of the weakest points of NewEra, and the main reason why we couldn't use it at all. It apparantly takes some time for the Unix afficionados to understand GUI design and it's importance, and not only internal engeneering. Strangly it doesn't support ActiveX controls at all, but I assume that will be available in an upgrade soon after the release of 3.0. For the tool to have a significant success it has to follow up on new developments both in the GUI and other areas. Now if Informix could understand they should release a US$ 995 version (or better US$ 495) they may actually become successfull. PS.: Do anybody know if the built in report function has been upgraded to support better printing? That is font control and positioned printing. Of course you can do that and much more with tools like Crystal Report, but it would be more than nice to have it in the built in report function. (More than nice means almost necessary.) timhood@bigfoot.com ("Timothy M. Hood") wrote: :Samuel J. Hazelett wrote: :> :> When you guys talk about 2D and 3D, what are you actually talking about? :> :I was talking about the visual interface elements having either a :two-dimensional or three-dimensional look about them. In the latest :Informix NewEra that is currently generally available, (2.20) much of :the interface is two dimensional. The buttons are 3D and parts of the :grid-form supertables are 3D, but the windows and frame elements, :fields, etc. are still 2D. : :In Oracle's Developer2000, they've already updated their interface to :look 3D, which is a better look for Windows95 clients. So far that I've :seen, that seems to be D2000's only strength that NE doesn't have. And :since the new release (3.0) of NE is due out soon, I'd rather develop :with quality tools and get the 3D when it comes (soon) than be limited :with what I can do. : :--Tim : :P.S. Ask a D2000 person what they think of the report tool! 8-D Nils.Myklebust@idg.no NM Data AS, P.O.Box 9090 Gronland, N-0133 Oslo, Norway My opinions are those of my company The Informix FAQ is at http://www.iiug.org