Re: PowerObject + Oracle VS Powerbuilder + Oracle
Date: 1995/09/24
Message-ID: <444ldq$g7a_at_dingo.cc.uq.oz.au>
sangam_at_ix.netcom.com (Krishnan C.Sakotai ) wrote:
>Hi folks,
>We are evaluating whether we should go with PowerObject development
>tool with Oracle workgroup server for NT or use Powerbuilder. I would
>like to hear from people who are using either of the above tools with
>their experiences, good or bad.
>Main conerns for us are:
>1. How good is the OCI in Powerbuilder VS native connection(
>supposedly) that PowerObjects has.
>2. Since PowerObject is fairly new, how buggy is it ?
>3. Is the client/server version of PowerObject out ?
>4. Does PB/Oracle pose any constraints on making full use of Oracle's
>power ?
>5. How does Oracle perform with NT ?
>Any reply would be highly appreciated.
>TIA
>Kris Sakotai
>sangam_at_ix.netcom.com
Rather than answer each question individually, I have attached a review of Power Objects for your information:
Subject: Fwd: PC WEEK REVIEW: ORACLE POWER OBJECTS
On Monday, Sept 4th, PC Week published an extremely positive review of
Oracle
Power Objects. The review praised Oracle Power Objects for its ease of
database connectivity, object orientation, cross platform
capabilities, and
ease of learning. "Oracle Power Objects Easier To Use Than Older
Competitors"
was one of many subheads that compelled the reader to our new product.
Also,
a chart was included that positioned us as the leader in client/server
development tools.
This review is a valuable sales and marketing tool which can help us
build
market share and replace Visual Basic as the leading workgroup
development
tool. We have already shipped over 150,000 copies of Oracle Power
Objects,
including a copy to every recipient of Oracle Magazine, and we have
commitments from distributors, resellers, and OEMs to purchase another
250,000
copies this year.
The review notes that OPO does not support ODBC. This was originally
planned
for V1, but slipped. It will be included in the next release planned
for CY96.
Please note that the prices quoted in the article are for the US not Australia.
A Power Play from Oracle
Power Objects Scores With Smooth Access To Database Servers
By Bob Gallagher
Although database servers continue to be among the most complex
products on
the market, harnessing their power need not be a strenuous task.
Oracle Corp. has done an outstanding job of simplifying the
development of
general-purpose client/server applications with Power Objects 1.0, an
easy-to-use, 16 bit programmable front-end tool the company released
in late
July.
Power Objects' drag-and-drop features replace the code editors needed
in other
products, such as Microsoft Corp.'s aging but widely used Visual Basic
Professional 3.0 and Powersoft Corp.'s PowerBuilder Enterprise 4.0.
Power
Objects' robust database connection objects give developers control
over many
database-server functions.
In addition to Visual Basic and PowerBuilder, Power Objects'
competition
includes Borland International Inc.'s Delphi and Symantec corp.'s Team
Enterprise Developer. For PC Week Labs' comparison of PowerBuilder
and Team
Enterprise Developer, see PC Week, March 20, Page 69.
A 32-bit version of Visual Basic (Version 4.0) is expected to ship
this month
and a 32-bit release of Delphi (Delphi 32) is targeted to arrive in
November.
PC Week Labs will evaluate these packages later this year.
Corporations that need an enterprisewise development system for
tapping the
power of many more database servers and operating systems than Power
Objects
can be used with may want to look at more specialized tools that focus
on
controlling database transactions. One such product is JAM from JYACC
Inc.,
which uses transaction-processing monitors to direct the flow of data
to and
from many sources on large-scale distributed systems.
For this review, PC Week Labs tested the Windows version of Oracle's
$1,995
Power Objects 1.0. (The client/server edition we used is available
for $1,295
until Nov. 24). A Macintosh version is also available. Oracle also
offers a
$395 personal edition of Power Objects 1.0, which includes a copy of
the
Personal Oracle7 database instead of the three database server drivers
found
in the client/server edition in which sells for $99 until Nov. 24.
Development Tools
With the exception of its spartan report editor, Power Objects' tools
are
among the best we have seen for developing general-purpose
client/server
applications.
Data-entry forms can be created in less time with Power Objects than
with
PowerBuilder because Power Objects uses a nonprocedural drag-and-drop
method
of placing form objects, such as fields, in a form. For example,
without
writing a line of code, we were able to create a two-table data-entry
form
displaying customer and invoice information.
We dragged fields from both a master and a detail table onto the
customer form
by selecting them from a view of table information that included field
name,
type, and size. To display multiple voices for each customer, we
dragged
invoice fields on a Repeater display object we had placed on the form.
We linked the data from both tables by supplying information such as
the name
and keyfield of the customer table, to the Repeater display object
containing
the invoice information. This meant that data from the master and
detail
tables was automatically synchronized as we stepped through each
customer's
record. Although Power Objects has query-by-form capabilities, its
QBF
process is not as straightforward as those found in competing
products, such
as Symantec's Team Enterprise Developer.
For example, after we selected the QBF mode, Power Objects displayed a
replica
of the customer data-entry form we had created so we could enter
search
criteria, such as state = CA into the form's state field and hitting
the
search key, which is how the Symantec product works.
Power Objects' report editor is especially difficult to deal with when
compared with report editors in other products including PowerBuilder
Enterprise, Team Enterprise developer, and the 16-bit versions of
Delphi and
Visual Basic.
Although Oracle describes Power Objects' report editor as a
banded-style
report editor, we found it more closely resembles the product's form
editor.
On the other hand, adding and refining user-interface elements with
Power
Objects was as easy as the initial prototyping. In just minutes, we
were able
to install the finishing touches, such as form record navigation
buttons,
colors, and logos, to our customer data-entry form.
Performance
While Power Objects' overall processing and screen I/O speed as
measured in PC
Week Labs' benchmarks was not as quick as some of the competitors'
products,
including Borland's Delphi 1.0 (the fastest comparable shipping
product that
we have tested to date), PC Week Labs' tests showed Power Objects to
be
adequate for general-purpose client/server applications, especially in
comparison with Team Enterprise Developer's sluggish performance.
In addition, Power Objects' responsiveness during development, which
we call
interactive operations, is on a par with all the other products in
this class
that PC Week Labs has evaluated.
Underlying Architecture
Despite the powerful programming commands and functions in this first
release
of Power Objects, the Oracle tool is suitable for enterprisewide
application
projects because it does not support version control, has no other
group
development features, and contains no application object repository.
However, Power Objects' underlying architecture, like that of
Microsoft's
Visual Basic, is structured so that new class components can extend
the basic
functionality of the product. This means that third-party vendors can
create
new class libraries that add prebuilt modules to older applications.
Object-Programming Support
Power Objects' object features are outstanding; objects such as the
ones that
control access to database servers made development very easy.
The Products' application structure is easy to identify and consistent
throughout the development environment. Once we learned how to
control the
features of one type of object, learning the next type of object
became easier
because all objects share many of the same attributes.
Because attributes of one class object can be inherited from another,
form
objects we created from a parent class object inherited all the
attributes of
the parent.
In addition, because the logic is encapsulated within each class
object, we
were able to create new object classes non-procedurally by using Power
Objects' form editor.
Database Support
Power Objects supports Oracle's own database server as well as Sybase
Inc.'s
SQL Server, but we were disappointed to learn that it lacks Open
Database
Connectivity support.
Power Objects does an excellent job of using the database-server
functionality
of the servers it does support. We could quickly connect to PC Week
Labs'
Oracle7.1 and Microsoft SQL Server 4.2 database servers after entering
their
names and log-in information in a dialog box.
We connected data-entry forms to each server simply by dragging that
server's
icon onto the forms. Without any other coding on our part, these
forms could
be used to add, delete, and update data on either server.
In addition we could automatically roll back any of these table
modifications
in the event that they were not successful.
Desktop Integration; Platform Support
Applications built with Power Objects can be extended to work with
other
desktop applications by using Object Linking and Embedding, OCX custom
control, and direct link libraries, but, unlike most of the
competition, Power
Objects has no import or export routines.
A Macintosh version of Power Objects is also available, providing
wider
support than either PowerBuilder or Team Enterprise Developer.
Documentation and Support
Because Power Objects' design is consistent throughout, we were able
to
install the product quickly and learn how to create applications with
it in
very short order.
In addition to providing support the traditional way--over the
phone--Oracle
has a Web site on the Internet that contains third-party class
libraries and
application components that can be purchased. The site is expected to
offer
bug fixes and enhancements for licensed users.
PCWEEK Labs Scoreboard
Programmable Front-End Tools
Power Objects 1.0 PowerBuilder Team Enterprise client/server ed. Enterprise 4.0 Developer 2.0 Oracle Corp. Powersoft Corp. Symantec Corp.
Development
Tools
Initial
prototyping Excellent Good Excellent
Query and
report Fair Good Good
creation
Adding and
refining user- Excellent Good Good
interface
elements
Performance
Screen I/O Good Good Fair
Processing
Speed Good Good Fair
Interactive
Operations Good Good Good
Resource usage
and require-
ments Good Good Good
Underlying
Architecture
Strength of
programming
language Good Good Good
Version
Control NA NA Good
Group
Development
support NA Good Good
Strength of
repository NA Good Excellent
Object
Programming
Support
Clarity of
application
structure Excellent Good Good
Encapsulation
of data and
logic Excellent Good Good
Ease of
identifying
and reusing
components Excellent Good Good
Database
Support
Database
driver Fair Good Fair
support
Efficiency
of using
database-
server
functions Excellent Good Excellent
Ease of
defining
database-server
connections Excellent Good Excellent
Desktop
Integration
Support for
interapplication
APIs on native
operating
systems Good Good Good
Import/Export
capabilities NA Good Good
Platform
Support
Windows Good Good Good
Macintosh Not Tested NA NA
OS/2 NA NA NA
Unix NA NA NA
Documentation
and Support
Ease of
installation
and learning Excellent Good Excellent
Reference
Materials Good Fair Good
Vendor
Assistance Good Good Good
Power Objects 1.0
Client/Server Edition
Easier to use than older competitors
Strengths:
Easy-to-use drag-and-drop database-server connections; simple
nonprocedural
method of creating class objects for reuse; support for Windows and
Macintosh
Systems; easier learning curve than PowerBuilder Enterprise or Team
Enterprise
Developer.
Weaknesses:
Only a rudimentary report editor; no ODBC support; lack of version
control and
other group development features.
Powerbuilder
Enterprise 4.0
Strengths:
ODBC Support; excellent sample application highlighting product
features.
Weaknesses:
Version control PVCS only; weak documentation
Team Enterprise Developer 2.0
Strengths:
Easier to learn than Powerbuilder Enterprise; choice of built in
version
control or version control via PVCS; automatic creation of database
triggers
with trigger express.
Weaknesses:
Lackluster performance; support for ODMC only.
Bottom Line:
Corporations looking for an easy to use database development tool for
a single
department should evaluate the client/server edition of Oracle's Power
Objects, especially if they have Macintoshes as well as Windows
systems.
Although Powersoft's PowerBuilder Enterprise and Symantec's Team
Enterprise
Developer are also well suited for building general-purpose
client/server
applications, Power Objects' convenient drag-and-drop database
connections put
it ahead of those two competitors. On the other hand, Power Objects'
lack of
group development features prohibits its deployment throughout an
enterprise.
Oracle Power Objects is now orderable. Part numbers are:
A36774-2 - Windows Client/Server, $1995 US / $2495 Global A36775-2 - Macintosh Client/Server, $1995 US / $2495 Global A34590-1 - Personal Edition, Either platform, $395 US or $495 Global Competitive upgrade $99 US
The kits will be in stock worldwide by Tuesday, 9/19; we will
back-order
orders for the product until kits are available. The product is
downloadable
at WWW.Oracle.Com today.
(Promotions listed in the PC Week review have been canceled in favor
of the
$99 Competitive upgrade, which applies to VB, Access, FoxPro, and
Omnis users)
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%UEND
-----------------------------\ooOoo/----------------------------------- Gordon Hooker MACS PCP ,--_|\ 25 Clarke Street, Ripley, Queensland, 4306, Australia / \ gordonh_at_acslink.net.au \_.--._/ mobile: 018883835 phone: 61-7-2889716 V -----------------------------------------------------------------------It is far better to remain silent and appear a fool, than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt... Received on Sun Sep 24 1995 - 00:00:00 CEST