Re: A good client

Hi Tony,
It is a while since I have worked with Delphi so as soon as I get the
time I will re-evaluate, which I have been meaning to do given that I
have seen some really great DB tools for Delphi that I would like to try.
I agree that when access gets used to create lots of small Databases
each with their own Jet back end the result is a horrendous mess. I also
find using Access as a front end to MS SQL Server using the the
recommended path of setting a Access Data project to be surprisingly
clumsy - surprising because the marketing from Microsoft so often
stresses the interaction between these two products as selling points
for both.

That said I have over the last few months completed 3 projects that used
Postgresql as the Data layer and Access 2000 as the Application layer.

First of all SQL Manager's (formerly EMS) Data pump tool and data import
Tool made the upsizing of the access databases to Postgresql far easier
than doing the same to SQL Server.

Secondly the work done on both the ODBC driver and the Windows port
resulted in close to completely trouble free development - the only
gotcha was ensuring that the ODBC timeout registry key needs to be
changed. Kudos to the ODBC team on a really great overhaul, and Kudos to
everyone who have made the Windows native port so much better than
anyone had a right to expect in the first version.

The installed base for Access is huge, the awareness of it's limitations
as a storage engine as opposed to client is widespread, the migration to
a two tier solution using SQL Server remains clumsy and fraught with
pitfalls, not to mention expensive. In addition even though almost none
of these Businesses are actually on selling the solution that they have
developed in house, all of them would like to retain the option to do
so, and migrating to SQL Server creates significant problems in that
regard. The BSD license, once explained becomes a big selling point for
a Postgresql solution.

So whilst I would be the last to in any way doubt the fitness of Delphi
for many of these tasks, I would disagree that Access is evil - in
circumstances like those outlined above the easy marriage of Postgresql
and Access could lead to much greater Ubiquity in the SME space. The
simple fact is that these are often business on a tight budget - and
every development minute that is saved does make a difference.

Cheers
Johan Wehtje

Tony Caduto wrote:
> <With some add on tools Delphi comes close, but it is still nowhere near
> as quick as Access to build a bunch of forms , pump data into
> spreadsheets, charts, word processing applications. It is often little
> things that make the difference - the speed with which drop down lists
> can be created is a huge boon to an access developer when the business
> needs an app that really does speed the workflow of their transactional
> staff. >
>
> Hi John,
>
> Delphi is actually excellent, and while it has a slightly higher
> learning curve than Access, it provides a flexibility that is
> unmatched. When it comes to database development there is nothing
> better IMHO :-)
>
> Access is for business analysts and such who can't/don't want to
> program, at least that is how it is used at the company I work for, and
> they(the business analysts) have dug themselves into a deep hole, they
> now have over 1000 little access applications floating around and they
> don't know what half of them do anymore. If they would have done it the
> right way they could have had a central data warehouse in PG and thin
> clients built with Delphi and/or combined with Intraweb.
>
> Another option that is starting to look really good is Lazarus
> (http://www.lazarus.freepascal.org/) Zeos lib is available for it
> http://www.zeoslib.net and it provides a very very very similar
> experience to Delphi.
>
> From my experience it is best to stay away from Access for application
> development if can.It does have it's place but I consider it a "evil"
> way of getting the job done.
>
> Later,
>
> Tony Caduto
>
>
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