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From: bh@ptsfa.UUCP (Brian Holliday)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Benchmarks and Real Performance (mi
Message-ID: <3051@ptsfa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Jun-87 14:15:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: ptsfa.3051
Posted: Wed Jun 10 14:15:21 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jun-87 04:14:20 EDT
References: <2700@blia.BLI.COM> <123000001@infoswx>
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
Lines: 52
Summary: I *like* Informix 4GL!




=As for 4GLs - I recently undertook to use Informix-4GL for the
=development of an applications program here.  We use the Informix
=ESQL, ISQL and C-ISAM products with good results.  However,
=since the application in question involves more than just
=pure user-interface to and reports from our db, Informix-4GL
=is not a good tool.  The interface to C included is more trouble
=than it is worth, and restriction after restriction awaits
=those who try to do anything outside the 4GL, which is required
=in our case.
=
=The 4GL itself is OK, as long as you can do your ENTIRE application
=in it.
=
=This is of course just an opinion I arrived at after working with
=it for about a month.
=
=Bert Campbell @infoswx

I am sold on Informix 4GL.  The interface to C gives me no problems.
There are no restrictions that I am aware of.  You can integrate C
routines into your application, and pass your arguments on
the stack (4GL ==> C, and C ==> 4GL).  You can also execute a
program, by using Informix 4GL's equivalent to "system" (EXECUTE).

I would not say that it is perfect, though.  You do have to live
within the boundaries of the 4GL, as the user interface is in a
certain format.  There are some bugs (which can be worked around).
It is not the fastest database in the world.  Compiled 4GL
executable binaries are *huge*, which could be a problem if you do not
have enough main memory -- the EXECUTE stops working (a 3B5 UNIX
problem: the fork hangs) -- but there is a funky work-around.

The application I am developing has 2 integrated C routines (one
gets shell variables, one is my funky "system" call).  I could add
more integrated C routines if the application needed it.  The
application also executes several shell scripts, which execute
totally outside of the 4GL environment.  One of the system calls
gives the user a Bourne shell.

I am quite sure that 4GLs are the wave of the future for database
programming.  There may be better 4GLs than Informix (Informix 4GL is
the only one I know, so I can't say), but for my purposes right now,
Informix 4GL is good enough.  I can develop applications very quickly
with it, so it has paid for itself.  It does take longer than a month to
find all the potholes, and figure out how to work around them, though.

NOTE: I do not work for Informix, Inc.  These comments are my own, and do
not necessarily represent my company's view.
						Brian Holliday (ptsfa!bh)