Re: Mac front-end : Native versus cross-platform

In article <4gilu5$emp_at_newsbf02.news.aol.com>, noodles_at_aol.com (Noodles) wrote:

> We'll soon be starting a client server project designing a MAC front-end
> to an Oracle 7.1 database running OpenVMS 6.1 on an AXP. Does anybody
> have any experience with native or cross-platform developement ? We're
> thinking of using Powerbuilder or Oracle's Forms for the cross-platform
> tool. Are there any common pitfalls that we should be aware of ? I'm
> leaning towards native developement but I need some justification.

Check out http://www.devtools.apple.com/ (or more specifically, http://www.devtools.apple.com/general/Guide2MacTools/client-server.html) for a comprehensive list of Mac front end tools.

I don't know if it's true, but the current word in c.d.o is that Forms 4.5 will not be ported to 680x0 code, it will be Pmac only. Oracle Power Objects is 680x0 now, and will be native in a few months. People say PowerBuilder is very slow on the Mac, but I haven't tried it.

I assume by "native" you mean Mac-only C++ type code. What is the advantage to this? All of the higher level tools are cross-platform anyway and are much easier than rolling your own interfaces to the dbms.

Regards,

Michael Kranzdorf                                    mikek_at_krt.com
Kranzco Realty Trust       http://www.krt.com         610.941.9292