On Tue, Mar 08, 2005 at 07:14:27PM +0000, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Are there any suitable alternative database languages for Linux? > > I have made programs in a database language. However, foxbase does not run on > Linux. I would like to create a program which seems like it would best be > written in a database language. > > I am aware that Perl has such capabilities although I do not know how they are > implemented. And to do it in Perl, I would need to learn a lot more than I > know > presently.
I am not going to say that you have received any bad advice. However, my input would differ. 1. I wouldn't suggest learning Python (unless you want to) or any other scripting language in the belief that any one of them has some special magic for data base application programming. If you already know a scripting language, use what you know. They all have the same facilities for back ends, and none of them is clearly superior enough to justify an extra learning curve. 2. Scripting languages, IMHO, are the way to go over C/C++. I won't even bother to go into why. I love C but would not use it for anything but drivers and low level stuff any more. Life is too short ;-) 3. If you already have significant legacy code in FoxPro/FoxBase, write back. There are ways to get that running on Linux (proprietary stuff and also a home rolled approach I haven't had the time or energy to develop). Don't waste time recreating and debugging a working app just because the language has fallen out of fashion. 4. I use a system of Tcl/Tk with Postgres that allows very rapid development of rather complex and robust C/S database apps on Linux. I cobbled it together at LPSG when we did a project called "yaab" (yet another address book), and have advanced it at my work. I was actually thinking of possibly doing a Kplug presentation on it when I get the documentation a little further along. Although the apps I've developed for work are obviously proprietary to the company (and very boring -- you don't want to see them, trust me), the framework is GPL by virtue of descending from yaab. So if you don't mind it being in Tcl (see point 1), write back. -- Lan Barnes [EMAIL PROTECTED] Linux Guy, SCM Specialist 858-354-0616 -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-lpsg
