Re: Newbie Informix-Oracle migration question

Basically the reason Oracle is saying 'Internet Database' is to give the sense that it can handle the 'billions and billions of users served' concept needed by the internet. In addition, since Oracle8i (8.1.5 and up), it comes with a lot of built in goodies to help in getting stuff to the web easier.

But, I've engineered/developed a lot of client server apps that run very well on Oracle. ESQL/C's equivalent is Pro*C - there are differences but it's pretty easy to convert as long as you stay close to ANSI SQL in both cases.

The big differences, from a developer's view, arise when you start using stored procedures. Oracle's PL/SQL is a different than what Informix uses. Lately Oracle's stored procedures have been giving a lot more functionality - you can actually create functions that extend the SQL language, eg: SELECT col1, col2, my_fun() from tab where a = b and my_other_fun(); This is extremely powerful.

Also, from a DBA's (maintenance) view, it is very, very different. Expect to spend some time learning the new maintenance environment. Beware of terminology hiccups - especially in definition of 'database' and 'instance'. This trips up 95% of new Oraclites and I generally get on this list twice a year (since 1993) just discussing those definitions.

In adition, you can write stored procedures in Java. Imagine - you can have your client server apps run in a browser and talk directly to the database. No need to install the s/w on each client's computer. Easier to distribute bug fixes.

So, long story short, Oracle is a good client-server database. Anything you can do in Informix, you can do in Oracle. If you stayed close to ANSI SQL in the first place, it's almost a no brainer to switch. If you want real bang for the buck, though, consider learning the tool properly (PL/SQL, etc.) otherwise it's like buying a Porche and never leaving first gear.

/H

VWP914 wrote:

> Hello again, everyonw and thanks for those who responded to my last post.
>
> As I stated last time, I am currently looking into converting from Informix to
> Oracle.
> One of the first things that come across when browsing the oracle web site,
> is that they really push their product as being an "internet database." Is
> oracle mostly employed on internets/intranets or is it also used for
> traditional client/server applications? The reason I ask, is that we have a
> lot of applications that are written in ESQL/C (C with imbedded sql) that
> interact with the Informix database, and write reports for printing to the
> operating system. Making all of our apps web enabled just doesn't make sense.
> A browser is a great place to implement user input forms, but I don't see it as
> a place to launch programs - at least not yet. One of the nice things about
> Informix, is that it had a wrapper for everything: by launching the database,
> you would have a customizable user menu, access to programs, forms, reports,
> operating system commands, just about everything accessible by menus - albeit
> archaic tab navigated menus - which our users are scared of. I started looking
> into Oracle as a way to improve our user interface, and because we have been
> screwed royally by Informix's software purchasing policy. MS databases are
> definitely out of the question because their operating system is unstable.
> Oracle seems to be the way things are going, but I don't want to get into
> anything that is going to be soley internet based - say for instance if they
> droped the client/server functionality of forms runtime, and made it so that
> everyone had to run forms-server in a 3-tier environment.
>
> Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.
>
> Thomas P. Otten
  Received on Sat Nov 18 2000 - 22:44:23 CST