Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!think!husc6!stech!billb From: billb@stech.UUCP (Bill Burton) Newsgroups: comp.databases Subject: Re: need help choosing between INGRESS and PROGRESS Message-ID: <1111@stech.UUCP> Date: 30 May 89 07:49:58 GMT References: <985@resource.UUCP> <309@viusys.UUCP> <241@dlcdev.UUCP> <13681@ncoast.ORG> Reply-To: billb%stech.UUCP@husc6.harvard.edu (Bill Burton) Distribution: na Organization: Scholastech, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. Lines: 72 In article <13681@ncoast.ORG> allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon S. Allbery) writes: >As quoted from <241@dlcdev.UUCP> by phelan@dlcdev.UUCP (Bill Phelan): >+--------------- >| For less than a hundred bucks, you can get a complete copy of the product >| to try on your system. CALL 1-800-FAST4GL and ask for a Test Drive. >+--------------- > >Blatant advertizing. Boo, hiss. Didn't see the original article, but, from your quote of it I wouldn't say so. After all, he works for Progress Software. He is just telling you how to try it out. >...I was unable to evaluate Progress for our uses because the limit of 4 >runs on a Test Drive database is too small. It doesn't sound like you actually tried it out. There are instructions in the back of the Test Drive manual showing how to dump your database and load it into a new empty database which will give you four more runs. You can do this for as long as you like (within the limits of your time and patience). >The use of >"crippleware" to evaluate a package is more often than not an exercise in >frustration; few such packages have limits that are sufficient to evaluate >the product under a "real" workload. Agreed. However, I think Progress Software has made a good compromise on this one. You can create a very large database and give the product a good workout. Last week I just finished taking the Advanced Seminar on Progress 4GL/RDBMS at their headquarters in Bedford, Mass. The teaching was excellent and I gained a greater understanding of a number of important concepts such as transactions, record locking in a multi-user environment, record scope, and (screen/output) frames. I have been very pleased with a product and highly recommend it to anyone needing a serious database applications development environment. One of the things I like most about the product is the way the language is what I would call "incremental" in design. With a few simple statements, you can enter some data or produce a report. To change the default behavior, you add modifiers to the statements. If you need still more control you can have it by using additional modifiers and or different parts of the language as appropriate. In other words, you don't run out of gas. You get both functionality and control. One of the most difficult things I've found in learning some new language/environment etc. is finding out the best way to write a "foo" to do "bar." It seems that the only way is to spend *lots* of time writing "foo" and reading the manuals. Even then it may not be the best/simplest way to do "bar." My whole point in this is to say that if you would like to talk with me about how I am using Progress to do my "bars," or just pump me for what I know about it and my experiences with it, I would be glad to share these things with you. >++Brandon >-- >Brandon S. Allbery, moderator of comp.sources.misc allbery@ncoast.org >uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery ncoast!allbery@hal.cwru.edu > Send comp.sources.misc submissions to comp-sources-misc@ >NCoast Public Access UN*X - (216) 781-6201, 300/1200/2400 baud, login: makeuser Having expounded profusely up to this point on the virtues of Progress (maybe even bordering on a sales pitch), I hereby offer the following disclaimers: o My opinions are my own. o Even though I took the advanced class in Progress and have used it for three years, I don't claim to be an expert. o My only affiliation with Progress Software, is as a satisfied customer. -Bill