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From: lugnut@sequent.UUCP (Don Bolton)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Informix, or Oracle... That is the question.  **HELP**
Keywords: Informix Oracle Help
Message-ID: <46504@sequent.UUCP>
Date: 14 Nov 90 23:16:38 GMT
References: <1990Nov7.085324.12653@rbdc>
Reply-To: lugnut@sequent.UUCP (Don Bolton)
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc
Lines: 62

In article <1990Nov7.085324.12653@rbdc> andy@rbdc (Andy Pitts) writes:
>For several years I have been consulting for a firm that uses Informix
>SQL.  So I have gained a lot of experience with that product.  Recently I
>have taken a job to write a database application for another client.  I
>had planned to use Informix SQL for this application also.  I called
>Informix to get some pricing and licensing information.  I won't bother
>the net with the details, but I keep getting conflicting information.  I
>have been talking with Informix for weeks and can't seem to get
>anywhere.  So I thought I would look at Oracle.  Oracle is more
>expensive than Informix but it seems like they have a good product (at
>least the person I talked with seemed to know their product).
>
>Due to the nature of this application, the design goals are not entirely
>clear.  So I need something to make quick and easy screen forms that can
>be easily modified as we learn more about our needs.  The screen forms
>will need powerful query capabilities.  Perform is nice in this reguard,
>but is limited in many ways.  I badly need to know how Oracle's
>formwriter and report writer compares to Informix's perform and ace.  Is
>Oracle worth the extra price?
>
>Would some kind soul out there who has had some experience give me some
>idea how these products compare.  Please respond by mail if possible.
>
>Many Thanks.
>-- 
>Andy Pitts andy@rbdc.UUCP  : "God is an overwhelming responsibility"
>...!emory!kd4nc!rbdc!andy  :            --Jethro Tull--

Well once I'm done you'll still ask the same question...

BOTH Oracle and Informix have their strong points, and BOTH have their
"hair pulling, bang-head-on-wall" what the **** is that for?

Perform is crude, Informix 4gl is from my perspective the way to go, not
only is it extremely flexable, but it allows you to utilize your data
entry screens to drive your reporting, merely by outputting a cursor to
your report file. (essentially ace with some 4gl differences).

Oracle is easier to build a complex screen, and allows multiple pages for
a single form, and allows complete freedom of table/column display thru
their block concept, but reporting becomes annother matter entirely. Their
old report language (rpt) is very powefull but crude, for padgination
issues you'll enjoy flow-charting your programs to sort through the GOTO
jungle. Their new report writer is menu driven and I don't know how much
its progressed since I tried their initial release of it. I went back
willingly to the GOTO jungle though. In either case, your reports cannot
be driven by your data entry screens.

The Oracle SQLPLUS features the ANSI std command set PLUS a *ton* of
enhancements that actually can fill most of your reporting needs. The
ISQL that Informix offers is somewhat crude by comparisson.

Both "brands" of RDBMS require a developer to invent a lot of creative
workarounds for some sometimes seemingly silly brick-walls, but BOTH
brands have enough things in them to enable one to do so at least.

I learned on Oracle, and was instantly hostile towards Informix when
I began, but as time has progressed, I've come to prefer the flexability
of its 4gl and to me, not having to build special screens to drive
reporting, is a real BIG plus.

thats my .02 your mileage may vary.