Re: Oracle-mode Firebird

ana wrote:
>
> A database even with a supporting procedural language IMO is nowhere
> close to beig able to replace Oracle Form/Reports.
>
> Exactly how do you envision Fyracle supporting either Client/Server
Forms & Report or web based Forms & Reports?
>

I don't think it could replace forms/reports, but it could be helpful. At my company, our investment in Oracle products is in two places. User interface, and business logic.

There are many tools that can be used to create user interface. None are as good as Oracle Forms, as far as I know, but I have just started searching. I have been a devoted fan of Forms since Forms 2.3 (1988? )

Our business logic is entirely written in PL/SQL, so a tool that can handle and interpret PL/SQL is very attractive. Oracle wants us to develop all new features in J-Developer, but we want to investigate other tools. Our hope is that Oracle will change their licensing policy, and allow us to continue with Forms/Reports, but we want to have a fallback plan in place in case that does not happen. (See much more on this at http:/www.csorkldev.com )

If PL/SQL business logic could be moved to Fryacle, that could make transition to another front end tool easier. You wouldn't be starting from scratch with all your code.

Maybe someone would even develop an Oracle Forms emulator. Then we could use the Oracle back end and dispense with the expensive and unnecessary Oracle Application Server.

When Oracle dropped client server, they also dropped free runtime distribution of the client front end, and made installation much more complicated for small to mid size environments. So, it is appropriate to look for alternatives to that environment. Oracle is encouraging us to go to J-Developer, but why should we believe that Oracle won't pull the rug out from JDev, just as the did for Dev2K? Anyone betting on J-Dev after seeing what Oracle did with Dev2k is just asking to be burned, IMHO.

Oracle insists they are committed to forms/reports long term, but I simply DO NOT believe them. They are doing everything they can to discourage people from developing new applications on that platform. They even issued a white paper advising customers to do new development in J-Developer.

We have potentially hundreds of customers for our product, but they are all small shops, generally less than five users. Oracle increased prices in this market by 500% TO 1700% (See http://www.csorkldev.com/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=PricingOutline)

Ideally, I'd like to identify a set of tools that can work with the Oracle back end effectively, but don't require Oracle Application Server, and don't require us to trust Oracle not to burn us again by turning to JDeveloper.

Best regards, Newton Received on Tue Dec 07 2004 - 03:59:23 CET