Re: **** --> Getting away from coding. Using ODBC (Question) ****

In article <CII3q6.32o_at_du.edu> nnguyen_at_du.edu (NGUYEN NGUYEN) writes:
>
>Hello,
>
>I will be setting up a corporate-wide DB system. The system spreads out on
>many different machines, platforms and locations. The idea is to make
>the system as easy to use as possible by make the access to the tables on
>different machines transparent. And it will take mininal work for maintenance.

Sounds like Nirvana! ;-)

>My thinking right now is using ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) products
>that allows GUI applications running at the front-end. These GUI applications
>allows end-user create ad-hoc reports (forms) and queries on the fly without
>much knowledge of SQL and OracleForm .

So far, so good. Users shouldn't use development tools like CASE or Oracle Forms directly.

>ODBC running at the comm layer allows
>access to tables on different machine transparently. This will eliminate a
>lot of coding. Microsoft Access is being evaluated for the GUI front-end.

Here's where I start to disagree. ODBC is a separate issue from coding. End-user tools help reduce coding, since many information needs can be satisfied directly by end users without writing code. All ODBC does is to:

• allow you to access Oracle7, SQL Server, and other databases without having to use direct proprietary interfaces to each,
• slow down the performance of your application or end-user tool (performance with ODBC has been demonstrated at between 20% and 50% slower than the direct proprietary interfaces), and
• reduce your access to proprietary and useful functionality of each server to which you connect.

What you are talking about is a good end-user tool, regardless of how it accesses the server desired. For this purpose, there are many third party tools available for the various popular databases. For instance, Oracle provide Oracle Data Browser V1 for end-user query access to the Oracle7 and V6 databases, as well as databases for which Oracle SQL*Connect or Transparent Gateways are available. Many users have also had great success with Oracle Card V1, an easy-to-use tool for development of simple or complex applications, very similar to Apple's HyperCard, but with features specific to making database applications easy to build without writing code. Lastly, Oracle provides Oracle Glue V1, which allows you to connect Oracle and other data and information sources to your favorite tools like Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, Visual Basic, or any tool which understands DDE or DLL's.

>Does anybody have any opion(s) about this idea? Have anyone tried this before?

Opinions? On the Net? ;-)

>Any comment is greatly appreciated.
>
>
>Nguyen Nguyen
>Quality Systems Manager.
>ITP
>
>Email: nguyen_nguyen_at_minitel.com
> nnguyen_at_diana.cair.du.edu

• Dennis Moore, my own opinions, etcetcetc