Re: Powerbuilder & Oracle

In article <SMUENCH.94Dec9232641_at_doh.oracle.com>, smuench_at_oracle.com (Steven P. Muench) says:
>
>>In article <shayD.20.00098BE4_at_moravian.edu> shayD_at_moravian.edu (David Shay) writes:
>>>From: shayD_at_moravian.edu (David Shay)
>>>Subject: Powerbuilder & Oracle
>>>Date: Thu, 8 Dec 94 09:32:27 EST
 

>>>Hi.
>>>We are in a situation where we may be "forced" to go in the direction of an
>>>Oracle database. Our previous plan was to use Powerbuilder & Sybase, but due
>>>to other integration issues, we will need to use Oracle rather than Sybase. I
>>>know that with the merger/buyout of Sybase & Powerbuilder, there will be
>>>continued integration on that front. Does anyone in this group currently use
>>>Powerbuilder as a front end to an Oracle datbase, or do most people use Forms?
 

>>>Any comments from anyone currently running Powerbuilder & Oracle would be
>>>greatly appreciated, either by mail or to this group.
 

>>>Thanks
 

>>>David Shay
>>>Asst. Director for Programming & Special Projects
>>>Moravian College
>>>Bethlehem, PA 18018
>>>shayD_at_moravian.edu
>>
>>We are using both Powerbuilder and CDE with Oracle. Powerbuilder is strong on
>>the Windows side and weak on the database side and CDE is the opposite. Which
>>you use depends on your requirements and the level of importance you apply to
>>these. I personally lean towards CDE because I think strength of integration
>>with the DB is more important over the long run. Powerbuilder's default
>>database has always been Sybase so it tends to do things the 'Sybase' way
>>which is not always the best way to do it with Oracle. I don't expect that to
>>change.
>>
>>Lawrence....
>
>Our Forms 4.5 Release increases its lead in the database performance area, while
>picking up nearly every single Windows feature that you've ever wanted in a
>solution from Oracle. All without sacrificing our mature cross-platform/cross-gui
>portability.
>
> - Full OLE2 Automation Support
> - Full VBX Control (Level 3!) Support
> - Full Multi-Level Inheritance of Methods and Attributes
> - Automatic CTL3DV2 Support!
> - Automatic Data-Enabled OLE2 Frame
> - Automatic Synchronization of Multiple Layouts for the same data
> - Drag & Drop Application Partitioning (easily move PL/SQL from server to client & back)
> - Unified Structural Object Navigator for all Client and Server Objects
> - Unified Code Editing, Compiling, and Debugging for Client and Server Code
>
> - Lots lots more...
>
>
>--
>
>Steve Muench Email: smuench_at_oracle.com
>Forms Development CIS: 73404,676
>Sr. Product Manager
>Oracle Corporation

Lots and Lots of people use PB against Oracle. ( I think about 40% of Powerbuilder customers ). Bewarwe though of poor Oracle DB integration issues. Some examples

Oracle7 has "packaged procedures". ( more than one Stored proc in the same "package"). Packages have some really strong features. Global variables that are visable to all procedures that may include regular old variables, PL/SQL tables ( arrays ), and Cursors. These variables are not only global in scope but are also "persistant" for the duration of a session ... the life of these variables crosses the bounds of transactions ! Powerbuilder may call packages procs. but you can't take advantage of their "persistant nature". When you user the powerscript verbs execute/fetch Powerbuilder effectivly trashes your session to the database and thus all variables that persist for the life of a session are lost !

Packages may also have overloaded procs; more than one proc. with the same name. The one that is run when you call it is determined at run time by the datatypes passed, or order of arguments passed. Powerbuilder chokes when it sees two procs. with same name.

I could go on for many more pages ...

I agree with the above comments from Steve Muench. CDE2 ( forms 4.5 ) has all the strong windows ooey/gooey functionality you need and probably lots you'll never use. It is <*WAY LESS*> coding than powerbuider, you are not required to code most of your app. in "C" DLLs to get around performance issues accociated with powerscript and it very well integrated with the DB.

Cheers !
GAG Received on Mon Dec 12 1994 - 20:09:29 CET