FilePro running on Unix vs Windows

[GCC Consulting]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com 
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com] On Behalf 
> Of Walter Vaughan
> Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 9:29 AM
> To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> Subject: Re: FilePro running on Unix vs Windows
> 
> Cindy Youngman wrote:
> > My company, Floors, Inc. has asked me to research the 
> possibility of 
> > us moving our system to a Windows based network platform.
> [..]
> > Thanks a bunch,
> > Cindy Youngman
> > Systems Developer for Floors Inc
> > (Division of Home Depot)
> 
> Well there's the end game. If I was whomever is VP Info 
> Systems for HD these days, I'd insist that the data be stored 
> in something that can be accessed by the J2EE-compliant 
> application server tools that they seem to be fond of these days.
> 
> What good are you if I can't apply some 
> SAS/PeopleSoft/SAP/Oracle module to your division if I need to?
> 
> If your application is mission critical to Floors Inc., then 
> *someone*[1] needs to fund a version of filePro where the 
> database layer is separate from the core language, and 
> preferably where JDBC can see it natively.
> 
> AND include migration tools to re-write processing 
> tables/reports to deal with any changes in the language.
> 
> Otherwise you're just spending your time worrying about a 
> bundle of defective hardwood, while the "Huns are at the 
> Gates" ready to burn and plunder all your lumberyards.
> 
> You have two responsibilities to your CEO... reduce costs and 
> remove "tribal knowledge".
> 1) Reduce costs... by far filePro appears to be huge cost 
> reduction. On the otherhand, there is a huge cost in making 
> your data available to neural networks and data mining.
> 2) Remove "tribal knowledge"... that's the ultimate problem 
> for those of us versed in filePro. We look like medicine men. 
> Nobody is going to come out of any program or position and 
> have tools at their disposable to actually make filePro do 
> what they need to... no, they come to us and minutes later we 
> have a report for them. From what I have been learning lately 
> is that CEO's/CIO's should fire medicine men like me.
> 
> Enough rant.
> 
> It's just this topic is on my mind about 12 hours a day right now.
> 
> You need to find out the ultimate end result TPTB at Floors, 
> Inc. want.
> Moving from Unix to Windows is simply window dressing (or 
> putting a second coating of polyurethane on the floor).
> 

Walter,

Why not give those CEO/CIO's fpsql and let them do their own reports?  It works
well and gives them the option to view or print a report.  The other plus is
that you aren't limited to 80 column screen.

Richard Kreiss
GCC Consulting