Re: DB clasical structure violation

On Sat, 06 Jul 2002 01:30:20 GMT, cesjr_at_airmail.net (Chuck Schuelke) wrote:

>I have worked with PICK from a structured point of view, the advocates
>statements are not incorrect, but if you want to move data in or out
>it is incredibly difficult.
>
What incredible nonsense!!

Of all the various criticisms I have ever heard about the Pick / MV database model, the one - and probably the only - argument I have not heard before is that it is hard to move data in and out. The reason, of course, is that one of the main features of the Pick / MV model is that it is extraordinarily **easy** to move data in and out.
>
> in general because of the ease of use,
>think access, changes are made, not documented, no way to trace back
>to what was origiinally envisioned.
>
Surely you are not trying to claim that the data model is bad because it is not self-documenting? I say "surely" because I frankly cannot think offhand of ***any*** DBMS that is self-documenting.

That, of course, only leaves one possible interpretation of your comment, namely that the Pick / MV model is easy to use and that you have encoutered at least one case where the ease of use has confused you because of changes from the original system design.

I would suggest, with all due respect, that in that case the criticism should be reserved for the developers who so confused you and, it must be said, with yourself for becoming so confused, rather than with a DBMS that is easy to use.
>
> [snip]
>
>This whole thread is nonsense because no responsible company would
>select pick based on todays environment.
>
What total rubbish - any company that does an open investigation of data management requirements and operating ROI will almost always choose one of the Pick / MV model DBMS systems. There is, to be frank, absolutely no reason to look further.

Now, it has to be said, there are indeed problems with the Pick / MV model, but these problems are almost all to do with the user interface rather than with the DBMS itself.

The older Pick environment in particular is outstandingly awful and behind the times with its insistance on a command line management system. Implementations of graphical interfaces, such as the Open Insight system, have almost always been poorly done in one way or another and modern attempts to integrate into a web-driven environment are equally bad although rapidly improving. Even with these problems, however, the power, flexibility, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, rapid development times, incredible data security and relational management and fantastic reporting features mean that the Pick / MV data model remains one of the crowning achievements of the revolution in data processing that the use of relational data models has given us. It is not a "catch all panacea", but it is undoubtedly a magificent piece of work. Received on Mon Jul 08 2002 - 15:49:09 CEST