Re: native PHP in V5R4???

I shouldn't bother, but I'm in a mood...

> From: Dave Odom
> 
> Not true about SQL being slower access than RPG.

Yes it is true.  I've proven it over and over.  In single record access, RPG
beats SQL.  In single record update, it beats it by an order of magnitude.
Set-based access, as Walden points out, is faster, particularly when the set
size is over 100 records.  At about ten records, the two are pretty close.
But for transaction processing (as opposed to data mining), nothing beats
good old indexed access.


> But the bigger
> picture is if the platform is to compete seriously in the market place
> against other DBMS platforms it is imperative those using legacy
> programming languages (RPG, CL, etc.) move to using mainstream languages
> (SQL for sure) and programming methodologies.

SQL is not an application development language.  It is a data access
language.  It has been poked, prodded and manipulated into doing many of the
things that true application development languages do, but only at the cost
of lots of strange platform-specific behavior.  Try getting the first ten
rows of any SELECT in the four or five top databases, and you'll see what I
mean.

SQL is to databases what C++ is to systems programming.  A really good
language for what it does with a bunch of baggage placed on it that it was
never intended for.  If you want objects, use a true OO: Java for strong
typing, something like Python for weak typing.


Anyway, this is hardly going to change minds.  If you've been around a
while, though, you realize that no two business are exactly the same, and
that there exists a mix of technologies, OO and procedural, GUI and green
screen, set-based and transaction-oriented, for every business problem.  And
in the end, those who use the best tools for the job are the ones who really
understand the bigger picture.


Joe