Re: Use of Informix with a 'process'-oriented application

} Subject: Re: Use of Informix with a 'process'-oriented application } Date: 23 Jan 1995 18:12:08 GMT } Reply-To: jsturm@garnet.msen.com (Jeffrey Sturm) } Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, MI (account info: +1 313 998-4562) } } Andy Kent (akent@cix.compulink.co.uk) wrote: } } : NewEra is a graphical tool, not character-based. There have been some } : mumblings about producing character-based Class Libraries for NewEra but } : there must be huge questions about how compatible this would be since } : NewEra is an event-driven language and as such fundamentally incompatible } ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ } : with the character-based environment. } ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ } Huh? I always thought the event-driven paradigm was *equally* valid in } the character-based environment. I sure hope so, since I've written many } such programs (I speak from a general programming stance here). } } Granted, some events, such as mouse events, won't be present in a character } environment, but it is still useful to process the keyboard, etc. in an } event loop. Not quite true. Mouse events still exist. The granularity is in character sized rows/cols rather than pixels; the mouse cursor is often a reverse video or blinking character sized block instead of an arrow. But mouse events still occur. The presentation has changed, the granularity is coarser, but the underlying event model is not affected. } >From a NewEra standpoint, I doubt that screen forms designed with the GUI } tool would be very useful on ASCII terminals, so there is a compatibility } issue. Another design tool would probably be needed. But that doesn't } mean it wouldn't be useful to have NewEra support ASCII terminals. Too many GUI screen painting tools are built from the pixel up, instead of from the window down. This is a design flaw, in my opinion. I do not know if NewEra has this flaw, since I have not seen it. *IF* NewEra has been built correctly, then it allows you to put a title here, a field label here, and a data input field there. With the exception of font size and the difference between pixel vs. character positioning granularity, these operations are equally applicable to GUI and character interfaces. *IF* NewEra has been built correctly, then about 80% of the code should be interface independent. Based on what I have heard, I doubt that NewEra has this level of flexibility. My impression is that it built pixel up, not window down. } : 4GL will be around for a good while yet because of the sheer volume of } : character-based sites out there. Data entry sites just can't justify } : ripping out all their Wyse 60s and putting in Pentiums (Pentia??). } } Not to mention the 4GL legacy apps out there, which won't go away anytime } soon. } } : akent@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andy Kent) } : ------------------------------------- } } -Jeff Not to mention that character based apps run tens to hundreds of times faster than graphical apps, where their functions are equivalent. Graphical apps do pictures better, but character apps actually do text better for everything except printed page layout. Regards, Alan +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------+ | R. Alan Popiel | Internet: alan@den.mmc.com | | Martin Marietta, SLS | Voice: 303-977-9998 | | P.O. Box 179, M/S 3810 | Standard disclaimers apply. Cutesy ones, too. | | Denver, CO 80201-0179 USA | Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. | +---------------------------+-----------------------------------------------+