Hi Bill,


Bill Karwin wrote:

>
> I really wish people would stop trying to turn ibserver into a
> programming environment. It's a data management engine!! Let it
> remained specialized for that purpose. Leave the complex structured
> programming to client application languages.
>

I believe a middle ground should be met.

Alot of Interbases strength is due to the power of the servers scripting
language.
I know that I would not be using interbase if the current scripting
language was not as powerful as it is. I also know that alot of
companies that require complex operations to occur on a WAN or dialup
would not use interbase if the stored procedure language was missing or
less powerful.

I do not want to see the stored procedure language performing operations
that can already be handled by creative coding, the idea of global
variables can be handled using a variables table.

BUT, I do want to see certain enhancements added to the SP language.
Such things as CASE statements come to mind.
The ability to manipulate all the different types of data that the
database can store.
I do not want to see a million and one math functions added to Interbase
(IB is not a spread sheet) but, I do want to see the ability to write
those functions in SP code if needed. I have functions for computing
square roots, date and time manipulation, all sorts of business
procedures, language and formating procedures, all written in
Interbase's stored procedure language. (My random number generator is
still producing some predictable results so I need some more development
on it)

I can see the need for some more global variables available to the
SP/trigger language (variables such as USER, but concerning other things
like stationid(client ip address))

The real power of C/S is not just in remotely storing the data, but to
remotely manipulate data as well. Alot of programs I use have very
little client side code in them, they are slow/old machines that rely on
the server to perform 90% of the work.
SP code is fast, and if properly written, very efficient. It is also
highly portable and does not need a genius to maintain. We have
managers who submit SP for inclusion into the database and they would
not even begin to understand Delphi or C, but they do know the business
and the data and they contribute alot thanks to the ease of use of SP
code.

Just another point of view

best regards

Dalton


Bill Karwin wrote:

>
> I really wish people would stop trying to turn ibserver into a
> programming environment. It's a data management engine!! Let it
> remained specialized for that purpose. Leave the complex structured
> programming to client application languages.
>