> Maybe the right solution is to use an ISAM system with a more modern
> name ... SleepyCat for example. The suggestions about LIMIT/FIRST
> may lead to other unpleasantness in Firebird because it has to
> retrieve and sort the whole record set to find the first 100 unless
> there's a single index with the same characteristics as the order
> by clause.
>
> Basically, if you're convinced that the only solution is a hammer -
> as your programmers/bosses seem to believe - you'll be happier if
> you make all problems be nails.
>
>

Trouble is we need relational for other reasons. Not the least of which
is customer perception. We also have to be able to support Firebird and
SQL Server (yuck) from the same code base. There is going to be some
serious jiggery pokery going on (hidden from the Cobol programmers) to
make that happen.

So to stretch your analogy to the breaking point, we need screws but the
only tool the programmers want to use is a hammer. I guess that's what
keeps me employed.






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