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==== OpenInsight vs Visual Basic (OpenInsight Specific) ====
=== At 09 APR 2001 04:21:02PM Tom Sweeney wrote: ===
{{tag>"OpenInsight Specific"}}
Can some one help me out here? What are the advantages to using OpenInsight? I am looking for a Microsoft alternative but so far have not been impressed by what is available. How does OpenIsight stand-up?
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=== At 09 APR 2001 06:28PM Donald Bakke wrote: ===
Tom,
It really depends on what your end goals are with the project you are working on. We aren't VB experts by any means but I believe the following are accurate advantages for using OpenInsight:
1. The database is already built-in
2. The database is based on the flexible and robust multi-valued and variable length architecture that Revelation Software has been known for
3. Creating fully integrated applications is probably much quicker in OI and doesn't require the developer to become highly experienced
4. OI has a fairly open architecture (although not as much as AREV did) that allows more experienced developers to really gain a lot of custom control over the way the application looks, feels, and operates
5. The developer support around here is excellent
6. You can easily extend your database to the world wide web with a much lower cost than traditional environments
7. OpenInsight has a very powerful and flexible programming language
The disadvantages of using OI are as follows:
1. It does not "easily" allow it's database to be accessed from outside of OpenInsight (i.e. there are no, as of yet, official ODBC drivers for OpenInsight)
2. Its core database engine and executable program is 16-bit
3. For all intents and purposes, there is no ability to add third-party controls to your application. Any custom control you desire must be created from within OpenInsight, which is usually a task for the more experienced developers
4. OpenInsight does not compile to a single executable/DLL file. It is still an interpreted language (however, this has advantages as well. With machines as fast as they are this issue is practically moot)
5. IMHO, OpenInsight does not come with a truly usable built-in printing solution. However, there are third-party solutions that more than make up for this deficiency (although you have to pay for them)
There are probably more things to be said for the pro's and con's. We use OpenInsight for all of our application development needs. There has been very little that we felt we could not effectively do for our clients by sticking with OpenInsight. However, we focus on business database applications. If you are looking to develop other kinds of software, such as utilities or other non-database related programs, then I would suggest you use something else. Delphi has always come highly recommended if you are looking for a Microsoft alternative.
dbakke@srpcs.com
[url=http://www.srpcs.com]SRP Computer Solutions, Inc.[/url]
[img]http://www.srpcs.com/srpicon1.gif[/img]
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=== At 09 APR 2001 06:36PM Tom Sweeney wrote: ===
Donald,
Thanks for the response!
I was under the impression that OI was now completely 32 bit. Is that not true? If not have you heard any plans to make it such?
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=== At 09 APR 2001 08:25PM Donald Bakke wrote: ===
Tom,
No, OI will be 16-bit at its core for quite a while. I can't comment on any plans to make "OpenInsight" 32-bit because it's never been promised. In fact, just the opposite has ever come out of Revelation Software. Whenever the phrase "32-bit" has ever been mentioned the classic response was "jRev". The future of that is somewhat in question but it would be best to call Revelation directly for the status on that.
The latest version of OpenInsight, 3.7.4, was recently released (3/31/2001) with some 32-bit add-on functionality. This is all provided through VBscript execution and an OCX control. OpenInsight simply calls this functionality to achieve 32-bit OS functions.
dbakke@srpcs.com
[url=http://www.srpcs.com]SRP Computer Solutions, Inc.[/url]
[img]http://www.srpcs.com/srpicon1.gif[/img]
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=== At 09 APR 2001 08:33PM Scott, LMS wrote: ===
Hi Tom
send me an email
jbunyip@adelaide.on.net
I can give you several additional MS alternatives that would be inappropriate to discuss in this forum.
Scott
[[https://www.revelation.com/revweb/oecgi4p.php/O4W_HANDOFF?DESTN=O4W_RUN_FORM&INQID=NONWORKS_READ&SUMMARY=1&KEY=874E5A9436A55E0885256A29006FCA40|View this thread on the forum...]]