Xref: utzoo comp.databases:2953 comp.software-eng:1764 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!paul.rutgers.edu!yes.rutgers.edu!emuleomo From: emuleomo@yes.rutgers.edu (Emuleomo) Newsgroups: comp.databases,comp.software-eng Subject: Re: 4GL and Application Prototyping in Databases Keywords: 4GL DBMS prototype maintainability OSL QBF Message-ID: Date: 13 Jul 89 23:58:16 GMT References: <378@proexam.UUCP> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 36 In reference to your article about Ingres and OSL 1) Yes, I am also using Ingres to develop a significantly large application but I quickly found out that OSL is good ONLY for menu creation and not much more. The approach I have taken is to write most of my stuff in ESQL/C using millions of EXEC SQL's and EXEC FRS's. 2) I have significant experience with ORACLE and INFORMIX but I am new to INGRES. My experience is that, in the UNIX environment, **INFORMIX** beats both of them hands down. Besides, Informix has the only complete 4GL in all the products mentioned above. 3) Personally, I am VERY disappointed with INGRES. a) It CANNOT do ROW level locking!! b) It DOES NOT have a modify structure command. c) It offers only token support for ESQL/C (in favor of EQUEL/C) d) VIFRED (it's screen painter) is a ROYAL PAIN etc etc... (Somebody at RTI should take a look at SPERFORM from informix!) 4) As far as ORACLE is concerned, there is nothing of significance that It does that Informix cannot do better! Besides Informix Turbo is probably the fastest thing around. Also only Informix offers FETCH PREVIOUS (like skip -1 in dbase). Try that in Oracle. 5) Lastly, for quick prototyping, Informix offers the "Informix Rapid Development system." which is portable from UNIX to DOS to XENIX B/4 you make a decision take a GOOOD look at INFORMIX. --Emuleomo O.O. (emuleomo@yes.rutgers.edu) -- ** Research is what I'm doing when I dont know what I'm doing! **