Re: Developer 2000 weak points??

Chris Fischer <cfischer_at_nando.net> writes:  

>Rick Rutt <rrutt_at_delphi.com> wrote:
>>
>>Also try one or more other development environments;
>>one that provides many of the application capabilities that Forms provides
>>is Microsoft Access. A more 3GL/less 4GL environment is Microsoft's
>>Visual Basic.
>>
   

>Now hang on a second. If I wanted to write a database transactional
>application in VB, I'd spend days writing hundreds of lines of code
>just to do some simple updates, inserts and deletes. Not to mention a
>query-by-example type of form. Beyond that, if someone new started,
>I'd have to teach them PL/SQL for triggers and stored procedures, and
>then teach them VB to write the front end stuff. The thing that
>amazes me about our VB developer is that he is always writing lots of
>code. Now explain to me how that is more "4GL" than declarative
>master-detail relationships in forms?
 

Please re-read what I said: Visual Basic is LESS 4GL than Access or Forms.  

Microsoft Access, like Oracle Forms, provides "free" updates, inserts, deletes. The new Access 95 provides query-by-form.  

Unlike Oracle Forms, in Microsoft Access I can be in the "run-time", and simultaneously be in "design mode" on the code behind a form, or the layout of another form, then return to the "run-time" form and have it pick up where it left of and call the now-modified code or other form.  

Microsoft Access provides forms design and run-time, reports design and run-time, adhoc query and "browser", and desktop/fileserver database in a single executable whose memory footprint is the same or smaller than just Oracle Forms designer.    

Your point about two programming languages may be of concern to some people (Visual Basic on the client, PL/SQL on the server). I'd gladly pay that price to get the better client development environment of Access.  

At the same time, I expect Microsoft to introduce stored-procedure programming using Basic as the language within their SQL/Server database. (If they don't, then they will be missing an opportunity.)  

• Rick --

(Rick Rutt is a system architect living and working in Midland, Michigan.) Received on Wed Apr 24 1996 - 00:00:00 CEST