Advice on client-server solutions?

Hello,

I am looking for some advice on client-server development solutions and approaches. I had some freelance experience with Filemaker, Helix, 4D and FoxPro on the Mac. Way back I used to do some stuff in DBase and Foxbase
(before it became MS's baby) on DOS. For scripting I know and use TCL/TK
(Unix and Mac) and Applescript. There's also good knowledge base on Basic and
I just bought 'Discover Programming' from Metrowerks to start nibbling on C.

I'm preparing to create a commercial data-management solution and it looks like my past experience with the Mac based database packages won't take me too far. Here are my parameters:

I looking to create a client/server solution. The server needs to run primarily on IRIX (SGI's unix). Secondary server-platform will be SUN, then Rhapsody and finally (maybe) NT.

The clients will need to run primarily on MAC, then SGI, SUN, Rhapsody and Windows.

Im not sure whether I can accomplish the task using a free database like Postgres and TCL/TK as a front end. I know Oracle-Servers are available for SGI, but what kind of client-tools (especially for Mac) do they offer? I've heard about the Macworld announcements, but nothing after that.

For sure, the client software needs to be pretty customizable as far as the GUI components are concerned. For example, I will need things like hierarchical browsing (a la Finder) displaying up to 2500 items in a list.
(Can take pretty long in TCL on slower Macs because its interpreted).

So, what are my options?

Should the client GUI's be created in C and linked with data-access libraries to the db-server? Or does any company provide a full set of tools for crossplatform client/server creation? Keep in mind that this will be a commercial product, so I can afford to spend some money on the right dev-tools.

Any input welcome. Please cc: my email-address in the signature if you don't mind.

Best,

Juergen

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Juergen Schreck
Prepress Consultant

P: 414.781.5295 
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