Re: WANTED - Platform & db-independent 4GL tools

In article <1992Feb13.194028.8231_at_cbfsb.att.com> blhaf_at_cbnewsg.cb.att.com (brian.l.hafer) writes:
>
>I am interested in any experience or knowledge anyone has about
>platform-independent, database-independent 4GL tools. Most of us
>deal with many databases and many platforms and I'm looking for
>recommendations for a tool(s) for writing in a 4GL and accessing
>any database on any platform. I realize it will be necessary to have
>some layered products to allow networking and access to other
>databases.
>
> The buzz words you hear describing this capability are interoperability
>and enterprise-wide data access. We would also be interested in any
>experiences with client/server setups, primarily (but not restricted to)
>using TCP/IP networking on UNIX systems.

I have never used the product personally but...

A product from Information Builders Inc. called Focus might fit your needs. They connect to practically ANY database (including IMS) and run in practically any environment (UNIX, PC, VMS, VM, MVS). They have been character based in the past but will be coming out with a GUI product soon.

Focus has a reputation for good report writing tools as well as application development tools and an expert system (Level 5). They recently released their EDA/SQL tools that support a DB independent API. they also handle the networking aspect of the problem.

Ingres may talk to Rdb/VMS, RMS, IMS and DB2 and Oracle may talk to SQL/DS and DB2 but Focus talks to Informix, Ingres, Oracle, Sybase, Rdb/VMS, DB2, IMS, SQL/DS and many more.

If I were faced with developing an application today, I would definitely pursue a platform/DB independent approach. The servers are fast becoming commodities and once the SQL Access group finishes more definition of how clients and server will communicate, the RDBMS world will become more open. I wouldn't want to be stuck having my application only work with one RDBMS. Open does not just mean HW/OS independent, it also means DB independent.

Although the proprietary application tools from each vendor (e.g. Informix/4GL, ASK/Ingres/4GL, Oracle SQL*Forms) work well for their DBMS, that is also their limitation.

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    Disclaimer:	"Everyone is entitled to an opinion, 
		 the above is mine and not that of my employer."

-- 

    Disclaimer:	"Everyone is entitled to an opinion, 
		 the above is mine and not that of my employer."