RE: White papers on industry trends

Dick,

Thanks for the information. You make a good point about learning curve (which is a concern the client has too) and about breaking up the C code. Yes, I am a contractor with the IRS but this project was always written in C. Never in Ada.. thank goodness...

Currently the system runs on an Informix database but will be converted to Oracle since it is the new IRS system of choice. (Good move) I was just concerned that keeping the C would be keeping a dinosaur in the backyard out of fear of a learning curve. We have the time to convert it and deal with the learning curve. The C code is pretty much spaghetti code after 17 years of band-aids and duct tape. It desperately needs to be reworked/redesigned not to mention adding Pro*C. We have a sister project that chucked all their C code and rewrote everything in Java. It was tough but the payoff was great.

We may have to decide on a module-by-module basis. Ada... now there's a dinosaur if I ever heard of one... :)

Val

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 10:33 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

Valerie,

    C is still a very heavily used language, although for a complete application
I'd probably want to use a C++ variant since they come with screen painter tools. Migrating from C to Forms/Reports would not be unthinkable, but don't
underestimate the learning curve. As far as eliminating the external procedure
call, if that's the way the application is written, then your stuck and no it
will not be eliminated. What may then be more efficient is to take that C code
& break it up into what is database only and what is C only. Then re-code the
application as PL/SQL (or stored Java if your so inclined) keeping in pure C only that which cannot be done otherwise.

    The industry trend I would have to say is headed towards thin clients and
three tier applications which serve internal and external customers and Java.
While I agree with the trend in many cases there are too many times that the trend does not really fit the needs. In many a case we end up just moving the
bottle neck from one place to the other & sometimes making it worse. Case in
point is PeopleSoft. There is a panel in the stock room maintenance that updates several tables and rows. Now that is a two tier problem since a lot of
data is moving from the server to the client, being processed, and then sent back. But we can id the bottleneck here in that the end user NEEDS a beefy PC.
Now you move that into a three tier mess & the bottle neck gets harder to find
since data moves from the database to the app server, to the client, gets processed & sent back to the apps server which does more processing, and then
back to the database. Result, you still need the beefy PC on the client side,
but you almost need a one to one setup on the app server as well. So then each
client actually needs two beefy PC's to do the job in a reasonable manner. YUCK!! Who said thin client was easier & cheaper? Must have been some ignorant
sales droid at the app server vendor.

    I note that your address is with the IRS, has the idea of doing Ada cropped
up yet? OH, bad joke, it's suppose to be the government's "standard programing
language" as declared by Congress back in the 80's. Then, PL/SQL is the Son of
Ada!!

Dick Goulet

____________________Reply Separator____________________
Author: Webber Valerie H <Valerie.H.Webber_at_irs.gov>
Date:       4/22/2002 5:28 AM

Are there any white papers on industry trends for architecture including programming languages. I'm working on a project that is in the early stages of a redesign. The current application uses C code entirely including user interface. The client is sold on Oracle Forms/Reports but is reluctant to trash the C code and start from scratch. This is the first such redesign in 17 years.

Does a 3 tier architecture using iAS minimize or eliminate the cost in performance of the external procedure call to the C program from a stored procedure?

Any information will be helpful...
Thank in advance,
Val

Valerie H. Webber
Management Systems Designers, Inc
Database Administrator
valerie.h.webber_at_irs.gov
704-566-5321

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<P><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Comic Sans MS">Are there any white papers on
industry trends for architecture including programming languages. I'm working on
a project that is in the early stages of a redesign. The current application uses C code entirely including user interface. The client is sold on Oracle Forms/Reports but is reluctant to trash the C code and start from scratch. This
is the first such redesign in 17 years.</FONT></P>

<P><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Comic Sans MS">Does a 3 tier architecture
using
iAS minimize or eliminate the cost in performance of the external procedure call
to the C program from a stored procedure?</FONT></P>

<P><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Comic Sans MS">Any information will be
helpful...</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Comic Sans MS">Thank in advance,</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#000080" FACE="Comic Sans MS">Val</FONT>
</P>

<P><B><FONT COLOR="#800080" FACE="Georgia">Valerie H. Webber</FONT></B><BR>
<FONT COLOR="#800080" FACE="Georgia">Management Systems Designers,
Inc</FONT>
<BR><FONT COLOR="#800080" FACE="Georgia">Database Administrator<BR>
valerie.h.webber_at_irs.gov<BR>
704-566-5321 </FONT>
</P>
<BR>

</BODY>
</HTML>

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Author: Webber Valerie H
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