Re: Oracle Forms vs Visual Studio .Net

From: Daniel Morgan <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu>
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 11:16:16 -0800
Message-ID: <1074366905.952181@yasure>

Comments in-line.

Niall Litchfield wrote:

> "Daniel Morgan" <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu> wrote in message
> news:1074267648.488805_at_yasure...
>

>>I've read Andrew and Jeff's responses and want to give you some
>>additional arguments in favor of Oracle Forms.

>
>

>>4. Far superior security to .NET

>
>

>>5. Far tighter integration than .NET

>
>
> How well is forms integrated with the application server (IIS/COM+) that
> will be in use here?

Don't recall anything about IIS/COM+: Perhaps my mistake. My recollection was whether iAS is required and it is not.

>>6. Far more sensible approach if using the database for anything other
>>than columns and rows.

>
>
> I don't think that I understand?

Microsoft often does not support newer abilities in Oracle. So your ability to work with some data types (especially UDT), functions, etc. may not be supported as completely.

>>7. Platform independence

>
>
> but this already is an MS shop. Isn't this argument a bit of a red herring?

An MS shop meaning they don't have and wish to limit themselves from ever having any other technology? Basically ... if I understand your argument, preclude yourself from ever moving to Linux because you will have too big an investment in a single vendor's technology.

>>8. More stable
>>9. More scalable

>
>
> I wonder if you can substantiate the above claims.

Every study I've ever seen shows _NIX platforms more stable and more scalable than Windows. And then there is the issue of virus and hacking attacks.

When the last big attack occured banks relying on Windows technology, especially their ATMs fell like mosquitos in a bowl of DDT. Those relying on _NIX continued to function.

>> From my experience with .NET ... I am far less than impressed. Some of
>>the worst code I've ever seen has been in .NET. If you are going to work
>>with SQL Server ... .NET may make sense. Against Oracle I'd definitely
>>go with Forms. And if not forms I'd be looking at Delphi or other tools
>>as my second choice.

>
>
> On the whole I disagree, ISTM that with the .Net runtime and the Visual
> Studio IDE, Microsoft have just about the best development environment that
> there is out there. It sure as hell beats JDeveloper. I also seem to recall
> someone recently saying that you couldn't blame Oracle for the crap code out
> there that runs on Oracle - to the extent that this is true it would seem
> that blaming MS for poor development on .net is an equally unconvincing
> argument.
>
> --
> Niall Litchfield
> Oracle DBA
> Audit Commission UK
> *****************************************
> Please include version and platform
> and SQL where applicable
> It makes life easier and increases the
> likelihood of a good answer
> ******************************************

Beats H out of JDeveloper? Can you get anything you build to fail-over on RAC? With JDeveloper fail-over is just a Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V away if you grab the TAF demo from otn.

Of course people write garbage code in almost everything. But almost all of the .NET I've seen going against Oracle demonstrates a profound lack of understanding of Oracle. It might be fine against SQL Server or Sybase but against Oracle it just creates consulting hours telling the developers how to fix what they already wrote.

Which is not to say that you couldn't build something adequate, or even good with .NET against Oracle. I'm just saying that if I had to choose between a proposal in .NET and one in JDeveloper ... I'd go with the JDeveloper every time based on the technology involved.

Reasonable people may disagree. It is just my opinion.

-- 
Daniel Morgan
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/oad/oad_crs.asp
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/aoa/aoa_crs.asp
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with a 'u' to reply)

Received on Sat Jan 17 2004 - 13:16:16 CST