RE: SQL-defined files/tables

John Carr wrote:

>Er, Buck,   I wasn't talking about how mechanically the data base is
>created (by hand or by buying another separate tool like IrWin),   I meant
>that for twenty years or more the DB Gods (from Edgar on down) have not
>implemented an easy to use way of defining the length and type of Customer
>Number, Invoice Number, etc just once to the DB,  like the REF function in
>DDS.

I understand what you're saying and it makes a lot of sense looking at
things from my "old school" point of view.  

>"Let's see,  I'll take a Customer Number, a Name, a Zip Code, a Credit
>Limit, etc.... and call it CUSTMAST "
>
>You should be able to pick(with or without a tool) the permissible values
>for Column Types for a table.

That's the crux of the thing, I guess.  In the old days, we didn't have "a
Customer Number, a Name, etc." we had Zoned 5,0; Alpha 30, etc.  Modern
thinking like you are exhibiting abstracts those details to a higher level:
not zoned 5,0 but Customer Number.

"All in one mainline" code (hand coded primitives) is gradually being
replaced by higher level thought processes (functions) and higher level code
(subprocedures, service programs, ILE.)  Soon, we'll have RPG programmers
saying "Let's see, I'll take getCustRecord, getItemRecord and putHistRecord
and call it createCustHistory."  How does the programmer know what functions
are available?  The compiler can't tell them... they need a tool - a
library.

Likewise, hand coded database primitives are being replaced by higher level
abstractions.  The database doesn't have support for more than the
primitives, so how can a database designer know what abstracts (objects?!)
are available?  A database design tool.  That's where I was headed with my
remarks about hand coding.  The database inventors really haven't tackled OO
- they've left it to the tool makers.

>And No,  I don't think UDT's give you the same thing.

I'm going to start tinkering with UDT's.  My main concern is inter-system
export/import of these data types.

>(Not wanting to start another meaningless war)

No shots fired my friend!

Buck Calabro
Aptis; Albany, NY
"Nothing is so firmly believed as
 that which we least know" -- Michel Montaigne
Visit the Midrange archives at http://www.midrange.com
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