Your opinion on D4GL
Hi informixers. For an entirely new project, that will be Gui based, would you use D4Gl or another product. One of my concern with D4GL is the wether it has the true look and feel of a Gui application, or if it looks like character-based through gui ? The environment is: Informix Database on Unix, Ms-windows clients. Thank you for sharing your opinion and experience. Luc Chatelain
If the "true GUI look and feel" is your highest priority, then perhaps D4GL is not the best solution. We always consider the following as well: 1. What is the existing skillset of the development team? If the main skillset is Informix 4GL, I would go with D4GL. 2. What are the client/server technical requirements? If "thin-client" technology is desirable (a big plus if remote clients are involved), then D4GL would again be preferable. 3. What are the business/end-user requirements for the new system? If it is light on the database I/O, do not mind "thick-client" problems, do not care too much about being able to seamlessly integrate SQL in the programs like D4GL/I4GL allow you to do, then perhaps another "true" GUI tool (e.g. Visual Basic, Visual C++, Powerbuilder, etc.) would be better. 4. If the "dot com" hype is important, then it is hard to argue against Java... Good luck, Hal Maner M Systems International, Inc. Luc Chatelain <ogcplus@cam.org> wrote in message news:387DD7CD.8B1AD90F@cam.org... > Hi informixers. > > For an entirely new project, that will be Gui based, would you use D4Gl > or another > product. One of my concern with D4GL is the wether it has the true look > and feel > of a Gui application, or if it looks like character-based through gui ? > The environment is: Informix Database on Unix, Ms-windows clients. > > Thank you for sharing your opinion and experience. > > Luc Chatelain >
Luc Chatelain wrote: > Hi informixers. > > For an entirely new project, that will be Gui based, would you use D4Gl > or another > product. One of my concern with D4GL is the wether it has the true look > and feel > of a Gui application, or if it looks like character-based through gui ? > The environment is: Informix Database on Unix, Ms-windows clients. > > Thank you for sharing your opinion and experience. > > Luc Chatelain If you are looking for a true windows look and feel with 4GL , you can try Phoenix, you can also access other database besides Informix. -- Compliments of QueriX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QueriX 4GL Compilers are Informix 4GL Compatible, and Connection to other RDBMS such as Oracle. Hydra 4GL Compiler (Compatible with I4GL) Compile once, run everywhere Phoenix Windows GUI. (Front End to 4GL) Chimera Java GUI The only GUI you will ever need... (Front End to 4GL) Arachne Web Technology (Front End to 4GL on the Web) For more details visit: http://www.querix.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have existing 4gl applications that you don't want to (or can't) recode, then D4gl (with WTK, x11d, or cli-java) is the way to go. If this is a new application, look hard at ODBC/OLEDB implimentations. This will allow you to use the latest MS tools (ADO, grids, blah, blah, blah) as well as making familiar windows-style interfaces for the end user. If you have 4gl programmers that know what they are doing, D4gl is a *very* viable solution. You gain centrally located code, thin clients, and an entire history of 4gl know-how. As far as the "GUI look and feel", this too is a function of your programmer's ability: an "old style" 4gl programmer will make character based programs. Someone familiar with D4gl's capabilities can make wonderful applications. Also, Look into CLI-JAVA instead of WTK. So: how good are your programmers? -- Tom Kliethermes "90% of people give the rest of us a bad name." Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.
thamus wrote: > If you have existing 4gl applications that you don't > want to (or can't) recode, then D4gl (with WTK, x11d, or cli-java) > is the way to go. If this is a new application, look hard at > ODBC/OLEDB implimentations. This will allow you to use the > latest MS tools (ADO, grids, blah, blah, blah) as well as > making familiar windows-style interfaces for the end user. > The application is not written in 4GL. It uses mainly I-SQL forms and reports. I'm looking at D4GL because some code could be migrated (or so I hope). We would start with the screens and probably continue to use the same reports for a while. > > If you have 4gl programmers that know what they are doing, > D4gl is a *very* viable solution. You gain centrally located > code, thin clients, and an entire history of 4gl know-how. > As far as the "GUI look and feel", this too is a function of > your programmer's ability: an "old style" 4gl programmer will > make character based programs. Someone familiar with D4gl's > capabilities can make wonderful applications. > > Also, Look into CLI-JAVA instead of WTK. > > So: how good are your programmers? Some are already very familiar with 4GL, not D4GL though. Some are good in C. > > -- > Tom Kliethermes "90% of people give the rest of us a bad name." > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy.