Path: utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!scs!cognos!garyp
From: garyp@cognos.uucp (Gary Puckering)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: SQL = 4GL ???
Message-ID: <4018@enterprise.UUCP>
Date: 1 Sep 88 15:36:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: enterpri.4018
References: <24484@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Reply-To: garyp@cognos.UUCP (Gary Puckering)
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 40

In article <24484@bu-cs.BU.EDU> berlin@buita.bu.edu (David Fickes Einstein Project) writes:
>We've just managed to start an argument here regarding the
>actual definition of 4GL and its relationship to SQL...
>
>IS SQL considered a 4GL?
>
>and if it isn't .. what is it? ... also as long as I'm 
>asking, what about QUEL, dBASE, and other languages... 
>according to my RTI (Ingres) documentation they call OSL
>a 4GL but not SQL or QUEL... could someone define the 
>term 4GL??

I've heard many answers to this question.  Here is my favorite
answer (I won't disclose the author):

  "A 4GL is any language created by software vendors after 1978"

Similarly, there is a definition for relational database:

  "A relational DBMS is any DBMS created after DB2"

--------------

Seriously, though, I believe that a 4GL differs from a 3GL (or,
indeed, from a DBMS) in that it has built-in algorithms and
heuristics that speed up the process of developing applications of a
certain type (for example, commercial applications).  Forerunners of
this concept were COBOL with Report Writer and RPG.  In fact, I can
think to no good reason not to class RPG as a 4GL.  It has a
built-in logic cycle for generalized report writing, balance-line
updating, etc.  More recent 4GL's exhibit similar but more
comprehensive capabilities and most are now driven by a data
dictionary which provides a centralized source of data definitions
and rules for presentation, editing, and representation of data.

-- 
Gary Puckering                                   P.O. Box 9707
Cognos Incorporated                              3755 Riverside Dr.
VOICE:  (613) 738-1440   FAX: (613) 738-0002     Ottawa, Ontario
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