Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!vtserf!cohill
From: cohill@vtserf.cc.vt.edu (Andrew M. Cohill)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Ctree (from Faircom): How is it?
Keywords: ctree, 3b2
Message-ID: <1563@vtserf.cc.vt.edu>
Date: 5 Apr 91 14:25:44 GMT
References: <1991Apr3.195427.18702@cbnewsk.att.com> <1744@TALOS.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Lines: 51

We have been working with ctree, dtree, and rtree for about three months
now, and have mixed feelings about it.  We liked the concept of coupling
the display stuff (dtree) with the database stuff (ctree), and indeed,
if you use dtree you don't have to make any database calls at all. None.
Nada.  Dtree takes care of everything for you, including little niceties
like checking for duplicate keys and letting you know about.

By contrast, if you were using db_vista and Vermont Views, you would
have to hand code all that stuff. Not terribly hard, but still involves
a lot of low level grunt work.  We have ctree running on a Mac, DOS
machines, and a DEC 5810 running Ultrix.

Now the downside:  The new release of dtree, although it includes lots
of screen goodies, is extremely buggy.  All one programmer here has done
for the last six weeks is find bugs for Faircom (no, we aren't beta
testers, but we should be).  The ctree upgrade appears to be okay, but
we really have not had much chance to test it, bogged down as we are
with dtree.  

Rtree is really big;  it may be problematic to use on DOS machines
because adding it makes the executables so large.  Small programs with
cdr-tree libraries check in at 400K+ before you add your own code, and a
big chunk of that is just rtree.  Rtree appears to be buggy with the
upgrade; we aren't really sure.

While we had little trouble moving ctree from platform to platform,
dtree is supposed to work on both DOS and Unix.  We could not get it
work reliably on Ultrix.

Faircom is moderately responsive;  they use an answering machine a lot
but do call back within 24 hours.  They have sent us two sets of bug
patches in the last month, and are open about admitting problems, which
goes a long way with us.  I much prefer that to vendors who try to
pretend there aren't any problems.

Their biggest problem, I think, is that they have a good product but are
a little too small to support it properly, and are under a lot of
pressure from competitors to get stuff out the door.  But then, that's
the history of software...

I'd be interested in hearing from other Faircom users working with the
upgrade.

Andy Cohill


-- 
|          ...we have to look for routes of power our teachers never       
|              imagined, or were encouraged to avoid.   T. Pynchon          
|                    
|Andy Cohill        cohill@vtserf.cc.vt.edu            VPI&SU