Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!rutgers!husc6!seismo!mcvax!johan
From: johan@mcvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Ingres: SQL or QUEL ?
Message-ID: <327@turing.mcvax.cwi.nl>
Date: Wed, 25-Mar-87 13:25:05 EST
Article-I.D.: turing.327
Posted: Wed Mar 25 13:25:05 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Mar-87 04:41:57 EST
Organization: CWI, Amsterdam
Lines: 41


Last year we bought Ingres from RTI for a VAX 750, running
UNIX 4.3 BSD; we got V 3.0, with QUEL; some applications are
running or under construction.
In february we got V 5.0 with an additional SQL- based
interface (with RTI- extensions).
Now we are considering transition from QUEL to SQL.
Some of our considerations are:
1. The `holy' :-) Date wrote, that QUEL was `better' than SQL.
   Comparison of the manuals didn't show any difference
   in functionality (of course with the exception of the macro
   facility in the interface to the language).
   SQL may be a bit wordier than QUEL.
   Probably Date's statement is based on some older implementation
   of SQL.
2. In V 5 SQL is implemented as a front end to QUEL.
3. RTI states to bring in V 6 a direct SQL- interface, which
   will be a superset of ANSI- SQL.
4. RTI states not to stop QUEL- support, but will they continue
   providing extensions?
5. The advantage of using a standard DB- language seems clear,
   but is it real? One might argue, that most of the work for larger
   applications will consist of the specification of forms- interfaces
   and data-manipulation, e.g. in OSL and/or EQUEL; even if one uses
   SQL the compatibility with other SQL- systems might be small.

We are interested to know, what other users will do.
Please mail me your views, plans and additional information
on the subject of the transition from QUEL to SQL;
we are specially interested to learn, what the sites with a
longer Ingres- tradition will do: change all their applications
to SQL, continue their existing applications in QUEL but use SQL
for new ones, or continue the QUEL- use for their new applications
as well.
If I get enough response, I'll summarize to the net.

-- 
                                                 Johan Wolleswinkel
CWI, Postbus 4079, 1009 AB  Amsterdam,  Kruislaan 413, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 5924050      Telex: 12571 (mactr nl)
UUCP: johan@turing.cwi.nl or ...{seismo,philabs,decvax}!mcvax!johan