Where are my stars? ;-)


>Jerry,
>
>Excellent answer Thanks!!
>
>>>Jerry,
>>>
>>I had mentioned that I thought I'd get a chance to go to the free demo today. Alas life intervened into my plans and I'm stuck at work - so no report as I had promised. Sorry.
>>
>>So goes life!
>>
>>
>>
>>Now that I have taken care of that I'd like to ask a few questions.
>>>
>>1) Is there any possibility of coexistance with VFP? That is, for example, could I have a West Wind Web Connection app and also squirt the data from that app into a Linux-based data manager like (what's available? Sybase, DB2?) SQL?
>>
>>
>>Kylix connects either locally or remotely to MyBase, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, DB2, don't know about Sybase, Interbase, and probably others. Or you can buy compontents like http://www.easycom-aura.com/us/Produits/eac_kylix.htm to access SQL/400 in native mode, or http://www.softland.com.ar/Info/Borland/kylix/benefits-4.html, which has several backend solutions avaiable. But, Kylix is on a Linux box and VFP is on a WinXX box, and your solution to "squirt" data from VFP to Kylix apps may envolve ODBC and coding, including using CLX and the dbExpress template to write your own drivers!
>>
>>Here are a few articles describing how to connect dBase and others. http://www.drbob42.com/examines
>>And here is a URL that has drivers for various backends: http://www.programmersheaven.com/zone2/cat273
>>
>>2) What about local data binding or is that the best approach?
>>
>>It depends on the problem and the kind of backend, as usual. If you've ever coded a VFP app using Oracle as the backend you know you've asked a loaded question. I've tried it both ways in Oracle. In the long run just using VFP as a front end and doing all the heavy lifting in packages and stored procedures on the back end makes the better sense. Going that way there are no data bound controls. But, I've used recordsets too and, providing your Oracle table fields do not allow NULLs, you CAN bind them to a VFP textbox and do all the nice record navagation, edit, save, undo, etc... But, when you fire a recordset and display the first record on the screen and then decide to jump to the last record, you may be in for a shock at how long you will have to wait if your table has a million records. Too long! Without bound controls you use search alorithms and retrive one or a small subset of records, and perhaps bind memory variables onto text controls, or perhaps stuff values with
>data.
>>This is why Oracle packages,etc., makes more sense, to me, anyway.
>>
>>
>>3) Where would you use Kylix + Linux and find it the most useful?
>>
>>If I were an independent developer again, SuSE + Kylix would make a highly competitive combination. SuSE and all the office software is, essentially, free. Installing the same copy of SuSE and KOffice or StarOffice 5.2 (or setting SO 5.2 up in server mode) on 30 workstations doesn't cost the client one more dime and is completely legal and encouraged! As a toolset the Enterprise Edition of Kylix would be a one time cost and it's development speed is second to none and faster than most other GUI-RADS, from what I've experienced. The client would pay less than $70 for all the software they need to set up their entire network and office software. The remainder of their hardware&software budget would go to paying ME to write their software. If I begin with existing GPL software that can be adapted to provide a business solution I am even farther ahead in the game. I can use that software freely, modify it and save the modifications on the clients HD. No GPL violations.
>>(I I took a GPL package, modified it, then sold it WITHOUT making the source code for may changes available to whom ever purchased my modified package... THAT would be a violation of the GPL.
>>Few programmers offering a Win2K based solution could compete with me economically and product wise. The server and workstation costs and license fees and continual upgrade fees alone would take them out of my price quote ballbark.
>>
>>I made a living taking a BIG 5 GAAP package that I wrote, and modifying it to particular clients needs. With the advent of advanced versions of DAC EASY, the PASCAL business software, and later QuickBooks, that market dried up. But, there are tons of other niche markets still avaiable.
>>
>>As a programmer working for either a private industry or a gov agency, I would continue to present the options available and let management continue to make the choices they want. It doesn't matter to me, I get paid the same either way, and both VFP and Kylix are excellent tools, once you get past the learning curve and the cost curve. If, on the otherhand, taxpayers were to learn how much money their public servents were throwing away on license fees they might stage a tax rebellion. :)
>>
>>If I were volunteering to program for a non-profit or church related group I would definately go with the route that produces the biggest bank for the lest buck... wanna guess what combo that would be? :)
>>
>>http://www.dts.nl/Produkten/Devtools/Kylix/why_buy_kylix_1.htm
>>
>>Thanks!
>>My Pleasure!
>>
>>JLK
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>Best,
>>>
>>>DD
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>1) A simple Kylix binary of a form with only one control, a "Close" button, is 396,000 bytes. When I examined the binary with a hex editor I found the phrase "Delphi for Linux, Version 14".
>>>>
>>>>2) Kylix has the equivilent of "Intellisense", including "." activation and key sorting, and it works VERY nicely!
>>>>
>>>>3) Kylix has an Alignment tool that looks and works like VFP's.
>>>>
>>>>4) Just like VFP, you can open multiple projects at the same time.
>>>>
>>>>5) From my playing around I've come to the conclusion that Kylix is as easy to sue as VFP and has more features and power. You can copy, inherit or use objects in the repository. Copying doesn't use inheritance. Inheriting an object allows changes in the repository object to affect the inherited children. Using an object in the repository allows changes to the object in an app to be inherited by the object in the repository. Sort of like backwards inheritance. One can add objects to the repository. They become sort of like 'templates', as Borland refers to them, or like VFP class members.
>>>>
>>>>So far I am very pleased!
>>>>JLK