Question for Tommorow's QnA with KB

[Tim Fischer]

> 2) What would be the sin in having a wizard that would migrate a filePro
> database to a third party SQL data store in a format that would work
> cleanly with a database abstraction layer that is designed to work in an
>   almost native format, rather than forcing filePro to deal with
> arbitrary datasource layouts.
> (is that confusing enough?)
> - Build a database in filePro
> - add logic edits tables
> - test and debug
> - Run a wizard that exports any existing data to a SQL server and tells
> filePro to look on that SQL server for data. Filepro stores all hidden
> system and real fields on remote/localhost SQL server.
> 
> Then if someone has a need access the data with php/olap/neural
> network/SAS/Peoplesoft/Oracle_Financials/perl/visual_basic they can.
> 
> Does anyone understand the question? Instead of trying to make OBDC work
> on Unix, build in connectors that allow for data to be stored in a
> manner that filePro expects, rather than tying to make filePro work with
> any random/arbitrary ODBC datasource.
> 
> The end result is that we get all the functionality of our RAD tools and
>   yet for those things we do not write (like perl/OLAP) we have cleanly
> exposed data available for usage.
> 
> Middle ground if it were, but on filePro's terms.

So you're suggesting creating the ability to use a SQL database as FP's
backend?  While I would love this feature (in fact, it would eliminate a lot
of code I've worked on over the past 6 months - but I'm ok with that) I
don't think it's very likely.

This feature would effectively eliminate the need for FP.  Why use FP only
as a front end?  I could probably create a front end that would work in the
same way and probably look better (at least allow more flexibility) using C,
and I don't really know C.  For your use, it would provide the functionality
you listed.  But how many current FP users would abandon FP completely?

Just my $.02.

Tim


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