HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: unifi!goofy.unifi.com!bharat@uunet.UU.NET (Bharat Shah)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Wingz.sleep.problem
Date: 28 Dec 1992 20:08:07 -0500
Organization: Mailing List Gateway
Distribution: world
Reply-To: unifi!goofy.unifi.com!bharat@uunet.UU.NET (Bharat Shah)
NNTP-Posting-Host: emory.mathcs.emory.edu
X-Informix-List-ID: <list.1741>

Hi,

We are users of Wingz/DataLink. In my application I need to poll database
(awaiting triggers !!) every 3 mins.

My choices are:

     1. "wait" command from hyperscript    OR
     2. calling external C-function which includes sleep() call

Problem with solution # 1 is that WAIT is synchronous and I am really
hogging CPU while WAITing.

Problem with solution # 2 is that entire WINGZ application falls a-sleep()
My keyboard too is disabled !

It has been proposed that we move to real-time Wingz and/or await OnLine
version 5.10. Real-time Wingz seems like an over kill & 5.10 is somewhat
of a distant happening for SCO users!

Help me,

Bharat.     ( bharat@unifi.com )

========================================================================
Bharat Shah                                      Voice: (508)-663-7570
Unifi Communications Corp.                         Fax: (508)-663-7543
4 Federal St, Billerica, Mass 01821           Internet: bharat@unifi.com
========================================================================
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
From: dave@bradley.bradley.edu (David Vessell)
Subject: Re: An insider's view
Organization: Bradley University
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 21:44:10 GMT

>I hear every day that we have the best 4GL on the market ! It seems
>that our 4GL has a very big share of the Unix market. I don't hear
>very much from the marketing department that there should be so many
>[.......]
>say our 4GL is really a fourth generation language. And if there is
>nothing which is much better - why should we spend money for
>implementing all these features if we can sell it as it is ?

That is a foolish, asinine, and dangerous attitude.

A 'very big share' means nothing unless you propose ways to keep that
market share.  Witness IBM.  

You have a big share of the Unix market.  Great.  But are Oracle and Sybase
sitting on their fannies?  No way, dude.  And how about the PC market?
I've seen the MS-DOS version of 4GL, and it's a dog.  You might as well
give it up.  Novell B-trieve products will eat you for lunch.

I hope your attitude is not the prevalent one at Informix.  If it is, then
I suppose it would be in our best interest to start looking for another
platform, one who gives a damn about its users instead of considering it a
privelege just to own their product.  
-- 
*davE*   Making the world safe for intelligent dance music.  dave@bradley.edu.
########## David L. Vessell -- Bradley University Computing Services #########
Your shame is neverending. Just one psychological drama after another.-Erasure
From: davek@informix.com (David Kosenko)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Re: An insider's view
Date: 21 Dec 92 17:11:27 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

Brian Douglass writes:
shemminga@cix.compulink.co.uk writes:
>>
>>I recieved this message today from someone inside Informix. I've been
>>asked not to identify the individual but am posting the message with
>>permission.
>>
>[deleted stuff]
>>And if there is
>>nothing which is much better - why should we spend money for
>>implementing all these features if we can sell it as it is ?

First of all, let me state unequivocably that the opinion expressed in this
quoted text, from an unnamed individual who works for Informix, is by
NO STRETCH OF THE WILDEST IMAGINATION the opinion of the company in
general, or more importantly, the opinion and official stance of the folks
responsible for tools development (tools meaning 4gl, Wingz, etc.). DO NOT
interperet this unnamed person's opinion as official Informix position.

>It is a STUPID marketing department that sits on a winning product and
>doesn't continue to enhance it according to market demands.  Because if a
>company won't do that, someone else will invent the better mousetrap and we
>will all beat a path to their door.  It remains to be seen whether or not
>Informix will fall into this category.

Well, from another insider's perspective, let me assure you that Informix
is doing its utmost not to fall into this category (i.e. letting someone
else build the better mousetrap).  While I can't give any details (I'm
not sure what, if anything, was mentioned at the User Conference since I
wasn't there), there is a "new version" of 4gl coming down the pike that
should address a lot of the concerns people have been expressing on the net.
History will be our judge, but I think we'll be able to say that we tried
very hard.

Dave


-- 
Disclaimer: These opinions are not those of Informix Software, Inc.
**************************************************************************
"I look back with some satisfaction on what an idiot I was when I was 25,
 but when I do that, I'm assuming I'm no longer an idiot." - Andy Rooney
From: davek@informix.com (David Kosenko)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Re: Start values for serial columns
Date: 28 Dec 92 18:24:41 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

Dave Snyder writes:
>Quoting Malcolm Apps...
>} 
>} I've recently been working on a small project that will recreate a
>} database schema *exactly* - down to the names of tablespaces etc and
>} especially the initial values of any serial columns.
>} 
>} I've scoured the system catalogs and can't find the information
>} required for serial columns anywhere.
>} 
>Having worked with the low-level C-ISAM stuff... I don't see anywhere
>that the initial SERIAL number is stored.  The serial number is stored
>in the .idx file.  I would assume that when a table is created, the
>initial value is written to the file.  As rows are added, the serial
>value is incremented.  It seems that after you start adding rows,
>the initial serial value is lost forever.  Can anyone at Informix confirm
>or deny this observation?

Mr. Snyder's observation is correct.  The initial serial value is not
preserved anywhere.

Dave
-- 
Disclaimer: These opinions are not those of Informix Software, Inc.
**************************************************************************
"I look back with some satisfaction on what an idiot I was when I was 25,
 but when I do that, I'm assuming I'm no longer an idiot." - Andy Rooney
From: rridley@sin-pss.DHL.COM (Richard Ridley)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Tripping Server III
Date: 27 Dec 1992 22:08:02 -0500
Organization: Mailing List Gateway
Distribution: world
Reply-To: rridley@sin-pss.DHL.COM (Richard Ridley)
NNTP-Posting-Host: emory.mathcs.emory.edu
X-Informix-List-ID: <list.1739>


%UNIPLEX
%TO            informix-list@rmy.emory.edu
%FROM          rridley
%SYSTEM        DHLNET
%SUBJECT       Tripping Server III
%VERIFY        y
%DATE          28/12/92 10:34
%REFERENCE     10020

Alan Denney writes :

>We are experiencing problems with an application developed using
>I4GL 4.0, and running on Online version 4.10.UE4 back-end.

>The error message returned from either prepared select statements or
>normally coded select statements are as follows :

>SQL statement error number -211
>Cannot read system catalog (systables).
>System error number -101.
>ISAM error: file is not open.

>let line3 = "select acc_no,company_name from cmf:accteadd where 1=1
                                              ^^^^
>and acct_addr_cat_cd = 'B'"
>prepare line1 from line3
>declare c4 scroll cursor for line1

>>Is the cmf database on the same server as your primary database?
>>Is it intact and OK?

Yes, all databases are on the same server

>>Are you mixing 4.0 and 4.1 engine processes or server processes in
>>the same environment?

NO, what we have since discovered is the following :

Online 4.10.UE4        No Informix-Star       : Works OK
Online 4.10.UE4        Informix-Star 4.10.UE4 : Gives the error
Online 4.10.UE4        Informix-Star 4.10.UE5 : Works OK
Online 5.00.UC2        No Informix-Star       : Works OK
Online 5.00.UC2        Informix-Star 5.00.UC2 : Works OK

It would appear from this that the problem causer is I-Star
4.10.UE4 (This is on an HP-UX 8.02 (9000/827) machine).

Has any related or similar bug been reported on I-Star 4.10.UE4 ?

Cheers,

Richard Ridley
%UEND
From: pp@q8.dk (Poul Pedersen)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Nice kill of tbtape -c ?
Date: 30 Dec 1992 08:43:06 -0500
Organization: Mailing List Gateway
Distribution: world
Reply-To: pp@q8.dk (Poul Pedersen)
NNTP-Posting-Host: emory.mathcs.emory.edu
X-Informix-List-ID: <list.1744>

        How is it possible to stop 'tbtape -c' if it is running
        in the background. (Terminal turned off and SIGHUP trapped.)

        The tbtape command must be stopped in a nice way.
        Is it possible to use 'kill -xx' ?

        If you under normal log backup executes 'tbmode -ky'
        tbtape is stopped in a nice way, but I don't want
        to execute 'tbmode -ky' with users on my systems and
        I want ALL my transactions moved to tape -- I want to
        kill tbtape -c in a nice way.

        Can you handle this ?  If yes then please mail me.

        Thanks and happy new year from
        -----------------------------------------------------------------
        Databaseadministrator Poul Pedersen
        Kuwait Petroleum (Denmark) A/S
        Hummeltoftevej 49                         Mail:   pp@q8.dk
        2830  Virum                               Voice:  +45 45 98 45 94
        Denmark                                   Fax:    +45 42 85 14 18
        -----------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix,comp.sys.mac.comm
From: M21520@mwvm.mitre.org
Subject: Re: MacTCP problem with Informix DataLink - solved
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean VA 22102
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 21:09:29 GMT

In article <168CCAF7A.M21520@mwvm.mitre.org> I wrote:
 
>>When anyone uses DataLink to open a connection w/ a database on the UNIX host,
>>the following error message appears: "Your MacTCP software had problems
>>sending data because the TCP connection went down. (ERR# -27015)".
 
Thanks to Steve Dorner for pointing me in the right direction.  It turns out
that an Informix daemon was not running properly.  Not a MacTCP problem.
 
 Brian O'Sullivan            m21520@mwvm.mitre.org
 MITRE Corp. NASA HQ site
 Washington, DC
              ** my opinions are not MITRE's **
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
From: shemminga@cix.compulink.co.uk (Stuart Hemming)
Subject: Re: INF4.1 -1 ERROR ?? problem
Reply-To: shemminga@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 08:53:00 +0000


TITLE: Re: INF4.1 -1 ERROR ?? problem

In <1992Dec30.162546.29500@informix.com> David Kosenko writes:

[Stuff deleted]

> How much money do you care to sacrifice ;-)?  If you check page 7 of the
> Installation guide for 4.1 (page number may be different for other releases,
> though the procedure is the same), under step 1., you will see "Log in as
> root."   It is true that you are directed to create an account for user
> informix (which, generally, must be done by root), but at no point do the
> instructions tell you to log in as informix for the installation.  As in
> my message that you have responded to, I will point out that user informix
> would not allow the assignment of ownerships and permissions necessary for
> several of the products, which require root ownership with suid.

UNCLE!

| I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way -- Jessica Rabbit     |
|------------------------------------------------------------|     
| Stuart Hemming       | shemminga@cix.compulink.co.uk       |
| Tudor Labels Ltd     | uunet!cix.compulink.co.uk!shemminga |
| Roman Bank Bourne    | Tel :  (+44) 778 426444             |
| Lincs PE10 9LQ. UK.  | Fax :  (+44) 778 421862             |


Stuart
|8-)
From: allenm@fraser.sfu.ca (Allen Mar)
Subject: PC Client access tools?
Summary: Looking for PC Access Tools to Informix Servers
Keywords: Informix PC Client Access Tools Excel Q+E
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 22:56:11 GMT

Hi, we have a mixed environment where Informix on an HP9000/800 series
HP-UX box is running as one RDMS among others (Sybase, MS-SQL Server on
OS/2, Paradox, Allbase(HP), Image(HP) for example).  Are there PC client
tools to access Informix over a LAN Manager LAN, like Pioneer Software's
Q+E (supports about 17 different DB's, but Informix isn't one of them)
for example???

Allen Mar
allenm@wizard.ucs.sfu.ca
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
From: shemminga@cix.compulink.co.uk (Stuart Hemming)
Subject: Re: Start values for serial co
Reply-To: shemminga@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 08:53:00 +0000

(Malcolm Apps)

TITLE: Re: Start values for serial columns

In <725749037snz@prickle.demon.co.uk.demon.co.uk> Malcolm Apps says:

> Thanks for the advice guys - I'll give up trying and encourage people
> to document the system properly.

Now, THAT would be novel 8-)

| I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way -- Jessica Rabbit     |
|------------------------------------------------------------|     
| Stuart Hemming       | shemminga@cix.compulink.co.uk       |
| Tudor Labels Ltd     | uunet!cix.compulink.co.uk!shemminga |
| Roman Bank Bourne    | Tel :  (+44) 778 426444             |
| Lincs PE10 9LQ. UK.  | Fax :  (+44) 778 421862             |


Stuart
|8-)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
From: bobb@netcom.com (Bob Beaulieu)
Subject: INFORMIX 4GL (DOS) FOR SALE
Keywords: Version 1.10.06B
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 23:41:25 GMT


Anyone want to buy INFORMIX 4GL - DOS (legal registered vers 1.10.06B).
This is on 3.5 diskettes. 
I believe the current release is 1.10.06E.

This can be upgraded to the new 4GL when the NEW 4GL is released by 
Informix.

Make me an offer... 

I still need INFORMIX ISQL, ESQL/C, & CISAM (vers 4.1). Anyone want to 
trade? Or sell?

Thanks,

Bob Beaulieu
bobb@netcom.com
-- 
 =============================================================
 Bob Beaulieu                                 bobb@netcom.com  
 San Jose, CA                                 (408) 978-0818  
 =============================================================
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
From: malcolm@prickle.demon.co.uk.demon.co.uk (Malcolm Apps)
Subject: Start values for serial columns
Distribution: world
Organization: The 4GL Factory Ltd
Reply-To: malcolm@prickle.demon.co.uk
X-Mailer: Simple NEWS 1.90 (ka9q DIS 1.19)
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 19:31:40 +0000

I've recently been working on a small project that will recreate a
database schema *exactly* - down to the names of tablespaces etc and
especially the initial values of any serial columns.

I've scoured the system catalogs and can't find the information
required for serial columns anywhere.

Help!!!


TIA
Malcolm
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  "We'd be fools not to ride this strange torpedo all the way out to the end."
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
   Malcolm Apps, The 4GL Factory Ltd, Bristol, England
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: brownlow@informix.com (Keith Brownlow)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Re: Invisible entry
Date: 19 Dec 92 20:05:33 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

If your invisible attribute dosen't work, I have a suggestion that may work
for entering a password. Start off by opening a form with a field the size 
of the largest password you want to enter.  Then begin a loop with a prompt
statement (PROMPT FOR CHAR).  Directly after the user 
has entered a character of the password, add this character to string that 
holds all the characters currently entered. Then display a symbol like 'X' 
or '*' to the form field to show that input has been accepted.  When the user 
presses return, the function is finished and you have a string containing the
password.  You could have this function in a loop with a counter giving the 
user x number of tries to get it right.  If you compile this knocked-up code
below, it may solve your problem.


DATABASE formonly

SCREEN
{
Enter a password
  [f001    ]
}

ATTRIBUTES
f001 = formonly.form_mask;
END


FUNCTION get_passwd()

DEFINE
   char_var CHAR(1),
   secret_passwd CHAR(7),
   mask_field CHAR(8),
   counter SMALLINT

OPTIONS 
   PROMPT LINE 1

OPEN WINDOW passwd_window AT 5,5
WITH FORM "passwd"
ATTRIBUTE(BORDER)

LET counter = 1

WHILE TRUE

PROMPT "" FOR CHAR char_var

IF char_var IS NULL THEN
   EXIT WHILE
ELSE
   LET secret_passwd[counter,counter] = char_var 
   LET mask_field[counter,counter] = "*" 
   DISPLAY mask_field to form_mask
   LET counter = counter + 1
END IF

END WHILE

CLOSE WINDOW passwd_window

RETURN secret_passwd

END FUNCTION


The only drawback to this function is that the cursor will be on the PROMPT
line of the "" PROMPT statement, not on the form field.  If you can live with
this, then otherwise, it is ok.  I used to use a function like this before the
4.1 release solved the INVISIBLE attribute problem, although I know a number
of my clients have have upgraded to 4.1 and their termcap probs have not gone
away.

Hope this helps some,
Keith.
From: anasaz!qip.naomi@enuucp.eas.asu.edu (Naomi Walker)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Calculating Extents
Date: 22 Dec 1992 11:48:03 -0500
Organization: Mailing List Gateway
Distribution: world
Reply-To: anasaz!qip.naomi@enuucp.eas.asu.edu (Naomi Walker)
NNTP-Posting-Host: emory.mathcs.emory.edu
X-Informix-List-ID: <list.1732>




Can someone please tell me a reliable way to calculate extents
on tables with TEXT BLOBS?  I've tried using the formula in the
book, but that doesnt work well.  In our case, this BLOB is in 
the tblspace, not in a blobspace.  Does it make a difference?

Should I just use the average size of our BLOBS (2k) for the row length?  

How do you calculate extents on varchars?  

Does the extent formula hold true if the table has no indicies?


-- 
  Naomi Walker  (aka N7FSA)     naomi%anasaz.UUCP@asuvax.eas.asu.edu

  Enthusiasm is caught,         In tennis, 
  not taught.                   love means nothing.
From: dave.snyder@snide.com (Dave Snyder)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Re: Start values for serial columns
Date: 24 Dec 1992 23:48:04 -0500
Organization: Mailing List Gateway
Distribution: world
Reply-To: dave.snyder@snide.com (Dave Snyder)
NNTP-Posting-Host: emory.mathcs.emory.edu
X-Informix-List-ID: <list.1738>

Quoting Malcolm Apps...
} 
} I've recently been working on a small project that will recreate a
} database schema *exactly* - down to the names of tablespaces etc and
} especially the initial values of any serial columns.
} 
} I've scoured the system catalogs and can't find the information
} required for serial columns anywhere.
} 
Having worked with the low-level C-ISAM stuff... I don't see anywhere
that the initial SERIAL number is stored.  The serial number is stored
in the .idx file.  I would assume that when a table is created, the
initial value is written to the file.  As rows are added, the serial
value is incremented.  It seems that after you start adding rows,
the initial serial value is lost forever.  Can anyone at Informix confirm
or deny this observation?

DAS
-- 
David Snyder @ Snide Computer Services - Folcroft, PA          Current Release
                                                               is db4glgen-3.9
UUCP:  ..!uunet!das13!dave   INTERNET:  dave.snyder@snide.com
From: davek@informix.com (David Kosenko)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Re: Help, tbtape is trashing my rootdbs!
Keywords: Online, IBM RT
Date: 21 Dec 92 16:59:41 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

Ing. Juan Gabriel Ruiz writes:
>davek@informix.com (David Kosenko) writes:
>>What you should do is run a low-level disk surface check on the devices you
>>are using for your chunks.  Typically, this problem is caused by bad blocks
>>present on the device.
>
>>As per bringing your system back up after a "bad block experience": if you
>>edit your tbconfig file and set MIRROR to 1, you will be able to restart
>>your system even though the chunk is marked as down.
>
>I don't understand your information, you're saying that we need a very
>clean hard disk to make Informix work, and I understand with this that
>Informix doesn't have a bad block rellocation schema and I think this
>is elemental.

I am simply telling you what you have to do to fix your
problem.  The way OnLine currently works does not remap bad blocks.
Consider that most versions of Unix have the same limitation.

>In other way, you said that if we set MIRROR=1 we'll be able to restart
>the system, but at what cost, doble disk space needed??

No.  The only overhead in turning the MIRROR flag on is that a mirror chunks
structure will be allocated in shared memory, which is of nominal size
(152 * CHUNKS bytes).  Note that this does not turn mirroring on for any
dbspaces - that must be done as a separate step.  It simply enables the system
to support mirroring.

Dave
-- 
Disclaimer: These opinions are not those of Informix Software, Inc.
**************************************************************************
"I look back with some satisfaction on what an idiot I was when I was 25,
 but when I do that, I'm assuming I'm no longer an idiot." - Andy Rooney
From: obelix.informix.com!johnl@emory.mathcs.emory.edu (Jonathan Leffler)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Re:  Transactions
Date: 3 Jan 1993 06:48:03 -0500
Organization: Mailing List Gateway
Distribution: world
Reply-To: obelix.informix.com!johnl@emory.mathcs.emory.edu (Jonathan Leffler)
NNTP-Posting-Host: emory.mathcs.emory.edu
X-Informix-List-ID: <list.1750>


Your main problem will be that when enough logical logs fill up, your
transaction will be rolled back.  Not too serious, really.  Why don't
you start the transaction when you know you have some work to do?

I don't recognise the version of the software -- are you running on
Plexus kit?  If so, it's not quite the standard product (it probably
has some blob support which Informix's version of Turbo did not have),
and the answer may, just conceivably, be different.

Happy New Year to you,
Jonathan Leffler (johnl@obelix.informix.com) #include <disclaimer.h>
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
From: jmaddox@mistxt.oc.com (John Maddox)
Subject: Why??? (did informix use termcap on AIX port?)
Organization: OpenConnect Systems, Dallas, TX
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 16:29:06 GMT


Why did Informix choose to stay with the old "termcap" 
terminal information database when they ported SQL & 4GL to AIX?
This certainly is a pain, since termcap is not really documented anymore...

Anyone care to shed some light on this?  
-- 
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
John Maddox                jmaddox@mistxt.oc.com                   214-888-0476
                            OpenConnect Systems