Re: Informix vs. Sybase vs. Oracle vs. (gasp) MS SQL Server

From: Anthony Mandic <no_sp.am_at_agd.nsw.gov.au>
Date: 1997/12/01
Message-ID: <34828838.398D_at_agd.nsw.gov.au>#1/1

David Williams wrote:

> And this is the CHEAPEST application that will perform the task?
> Remember most business custoemrs want cheap system...(every supplier
> says that there system will work!!)

	Well, you do get what you pay for. The app I was describing
	was an inhouse app. You seldom get the source to commercial
	apps or access to the developers and immediate fixes.



> >>   Either is easy with debug logs. Switch on, get a trace, debug it.

> >>   Most debugging can be narrowed down to one screen operation by the

> >>   user, plaster with debug and that 's it.

> >

> >       This is a point in time issue. But you have to work back thru

> >       the app to work out how it got into that state and how the

> >       data became incorrect. Often times it was as the result of

> >       some hairly written code in a module made by a programmer

> >       who either didn't have a proper grasp of what was required or

> >       didn't care.

> >
> Which you have to do anyway, what's your point?

	Thats right. My point was that debugging isn't always as
	trivial as checking for a dereferenced pointer with an if
	statement.



> >       Of course, we've drifted off topic now. But while we're here,

> >       how many others have designed apps to guard against problems

> >       and what measures did they take?

> >
> No the app but the database.
>
> - unique indexes
> - not null
> - we would have constriants if I had my way..

	Funny you should mention this. I've just been involved
	with the setting up of another 3rd party system. Had a
	quick look at the schema. Almost every field allows null.
	The table creation script was probably churned out auto-
	matically, judging by the formatting. I'll have to have
	a word to the developers tomorrow.

-am Received on Mon Dec 01 1997 - 00:00:00 CET