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From: bmug@garnet.berkeley.edu (BMUG)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: 4th Dimension
Message-ID: <22339@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 30 Mar 89 17:11:57 GMT
References: <11632@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
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In article <11632@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> tancil@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Mark Tancil)
writes:
>A company I have done some part time work for is setting up a database using
>the 4th Dimension program and has a couple questions about it.  They have had
>an outside consultant working on setting up the program and configuring it to 
>their needs for nearly a year now, and they are wondering (1) if such a long
>time is common for getting the database running and (2) if the program
>performs well once everything was in place.
>

Some databases (not only those using 4th Dimension as the development
system) can easily take more than a year to set up.  The most common
causes are:

1. Vague specifications from the client.
2. Inadequate debugging.
3. Change orders and other modification requests from the client.

How the program performs is largely a function of the skill of the
programmer; I've seen some 4th Dimension database applications that
are absolutely spectacular; I've seen others that were about as
attractive as the wrong end of a dog.  BTW, if the database to which
Mark Tancil refers is still in development, he and his company should
be aware that a new version of 4D is in the works, which will have more
features, be more powerful, easier to program, and faster.

(Disclaimer: I have no connection with ACIUS, other than being a
satisfied customer)

John Heckendorn

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