From: coburn@informix.com (David Coburn)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Re: What is right selection of tools?
Date: 5 Sep 92 05:22:36 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

My apologies for posting, but your requested reply address bounced rather
thoroughly.  So, here goes:

In article <1992Sep4.202450.27118@kth.se> you write:
>
>Now we are considering to rewrite it in uniform fashion both for dos
>and unix using some good database system. After all we have financal
>limitations about 3000$ for buying software (its big money for us,
>as average salary in estonia is about 50 dollars in month).
>
>Programs must run both on dos and SCO unix. (We have 3 unix machines
>and about 20 dos boxes). So far i have considered the following
>configuration:
>
>for unix
>- Informix Standard Engine
>- Informix 4GL Rapid Development System or ESQL/C
>
>for dos
>- Informix NET-PC with Sun PC-NFS
>
>Now i have some questions about abowe configuretions which i can't
>resolve due to my limited informationt.
>
>- is Informix NET all what we need for dos, can we run applications
>  produced in unix by 4GL-RDS on dos or we must buy separate products
>  for dos?

You would also need an R4GL runtime for DOS to do this for each DOS
machine, in addition to the I-Net PC.  If you do the development in ESQL/C
(see below), you would need the ESQL/C runtime, but the I-Net PC is still
required for each DOS box and for the database server.

>- if something more is needed, what and why?

In terms of why you would need the runtimes, these can be thought of as
runtime libraries that are required.  In the case of the 4GL RDS system,
you need the runtime to run the pseudo-code that RDS produces.  For ESQL/C
front ends, these contain functions that are required for the client (DOS)
machines.

>- what are advantages of 4GL-RDS against ESQL/C (its much cheaper, and
>  its realy important for us)

Well, 4GL will give you usable programs in a much shorter time frame when
compared to ESQL/C.  However, one of the things you mentioned was that the
pay rates there are far lower than the equivilant rates in the US, so you
would very probably find a large cost savings using ESQL/C as opposed to
4GL.  I can't really tell you for sure given the data you provided, but
I am told that you can develop a program in about 20% of the time in 4GL as
opposed to ESQL/C.  (Anybody with direct experience is invited, nay
encouraged, to reply).  This should give you a *VERY* rough estimate of the
total time (and hence, the total costs) required.

One comment about development systems is in order here.  Should you choose
to develop in ESQL/C, you must have at least one development copy of
ESQL/C, as well as a C compiler (Microsoft) for each target client.  Thus,
if you are developing for both DOS and SCO Unix clients, you would need two
versions of the ESQL/C Development environment.

This is not a requirement for RDS, which should run the same pseudo code
regardless of the target platform.  Thus, you would need only one
development copy for each programmer involved, plus a runtime for each end
user.

>- does ESQL/C include libraries for menu, forms, ... creation (of
>  course there remains possibility to write them in C) 

No.

>- does the Standard Engine include recovery possibilities ?

Not as much as OnLine, but some do exist.  The real question here is how
valuable is the data that you are storing?  How do you do backups in case
of a system crash?  Could you afford to loose all the data input since the
last full backup in case a worst case scenario happens?  If so, use SE.  If
not, *STRONGLY* consider OnLine.

>
>Please replay by mail to the following address:  taavi@pm.postimees.ee
>
>--
>Taavi Talvik            |  Newspaper "Postimees", Tartu, Estonia
>taavi@pm.postimees.ee   |  Software R&D division
>Phone: (7-01434) 31-551 |  EE2400 Gildi 1, Tartu, Estonia
>Fax: (7-01434) 33-348   |


-- 
David Coburn                                 coburn@informix.com
Informix Software, Inc.                    ...uunet!infmx!coburn
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