Re: Good User Guides for Informix Online DS 7.23 and NewEra

On 31 Dec 97 at 9:26, Mike Segel wrote: } Billy Wheeler screamed as he came crashing out of the jungle like a } wounded wildabeast: Mmmmmooooooooooooooo!!! (That's "wildebeest", Mike! :-) } > On 31 Dec 97 at 0:53, Mike Segel wrote: } > } > } Here's a tip. } > } Don't use New Era. (Damn I'm gonna catch flack for that one. :-) } > } > Nothing wrong with NewEra. } > } } Ahh, but I disagree. Here's a simple acid test. Try writing a } multiple window application where objectsin one window can control } objects in another. Here's an example. Write a stock broker } application/ trading application, which has a *real time* feed of } stock trades in one window and a clients portfolio in another. Er, no. I really have far too much work to do this just for your amusement! :-) } Simply put, you cannot delegate/control objects outside the window } hiearchy. New Era doesn't allow for object delegation. (See ask the } experts .... :-) Alright, it doesn't. However, at the risk of seeming my usual dense self, we don't write apps for stockbrokers. (I know, I know! :-) We're an ex-4GL shop who have to write applications for businesses who have "normal" business problems. We've actually been fairly successful in providing solutions to people using NewEra. Just because a product has (some esoteric) limitations doesn't mean that it has no use. I am fully aware that another Informix product had some really irritating limitations and missing features. However, that didn't stop 4GL from conquering the world tothe extent that two other compatible compilers have been written! } Can you write an application which does the same task? } > } BUT, if this is not an option, } > } do the following: } > } } > } 1) Place all of your business logic in C functions. (It makes } > } them portable.) } > } > No disrespect, Mike, but it also makes it damn hard to maintain. } > Business is not as static as it used to be, if it ever was. :-) } } Even if it is not *static*, C code is extremely simple. Heck, they } even teach it in some high schoolsthese days. :-) Keep in mind that } one should not have to have obfuscated code or pointers to arrays of } pointers to structures in one's business code. But then what's the point of using C? :-) Actually, if I cast my mind back to the days when I used to write useful code all day instead of fulminating on this forum, I do recall that I was a lot less effective in C than I am in 4GL. Also, I have a real propellor-head C-adoring programmer and even *he* reckons he's more effective in NewEra than in C. } As far as being static, even if you write it in any language, you } will still have to maintain it. However if you write it in C, the } odds are you will only have to maintain one copy of code. Both 4GL } and New Era can access the C code. So you have multiple platform } support, which New Era no longer provides. You can even access the } code from other languages/environments as well. My point is based on a great deal of painful experience -- C is a lot harder to maintain than a 4GL or NewEra code base. } Of course, if and when 7.X and 9.X merge and Informix offers C, C++ } and JAVA as stored proceedure languages, you now have server side } code. (CSPL, JSPL ? Ne C'est Pas? :-) Hehe. } > } You should be creating functional layers as much as possible. 2) } > } Do not rely on the Class Libraries provided with New Era. } > } (Can we say garbage?) } > } > I think he means the AFCL here. Have a look at NEWT, from } > http://www.dchsoftware.co.uk -- it's downloadable. } } Perhaps. Of course, its a third party product and blows away the } *one* vendor theory. :-)Delegation can exist within the AFCL versus Well, the AFCL was written by a third party as well, and AFAIK is unsupported by Informix. At least NEWT was written by an ex-Informix employee... :-) } the *language* level. The problem is that New Era apps, don't really } have an application class which handles interfacing with the OS } windows manager, hence the window is the lowest level of control. } (I'm not 100% sure of this since I don't use NE.) Urm. } > } 3) Make sure you understand OO design and techniques. This is } > } independant of } > } what ever OO language you use. } > } > ABSOLUTELY!!! } > } > } 4) Since this is your *first* experience with New Era, double or } > } tripple the time requirements for } > } your project. (You are gonna have to learn a lot and will } > } most likely } > } rewrite earlier sections of code) } > } > And this applies equally to any language, even C... :-) } } Who said it didn't? But then again, you can get C programmers fresh } from school where as you can't get New Era programmers as easily. This, surely, is true. However, our experience has shown that the pain of adopting NewEra is because of learning how to think object, not because it's a difficult tool to learn. Excuse while I go and find some British beef to chew on... -- Ciao, Billy Back at the gold-face in sunny Gauteng... Informix FAQ @ http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/faq_top.html Drivel @ http://www.west.co.za/tasteless/