David, what you're touching on here is one of the fundamental differences between MV and relational: We use BASIC within the engine to manage Referential Integrity (RI) and provide business rules. Simultaneously, our RI is contained in the business rules, not at the DBMS level. They use other languages outside the engine for rules, and they rely on the DBMS to maintain RI.
As much as I'd like to climb on the pro-MV bandwagon on the preferred methodology, I have to say that neither is right or wrong, better or worse, they're just different methodologies, equally qualified, equally falable. The problem with MV is that we have not adapted to that other common methodology. Language bindings into the MV environment need to come through a rather cludgy socket interface or other mechanisms, where interfaces to other environments are "seemingly" much more direct and elegant. When we can advertise that the rules can comfortably sit at any tier, then we will have something to brag about. We're almost there. Right now, I am comfortable with the practice of putting minimal validation outside of the environment, but (despite the ability to have all rules outside the environment) I choose to keep all real rules in BASIC on the server. It seems many people in this community still think it needs to be entirely one way or the other. This seems to be a new mantra of mine here, but the problem isn't so much with the technology, but how people think it should be used. T > From: David Jordan > One thing that all the other database lack is that U2 > has a sophisticated business rules engine. The SQL > bastardise language in other databases is a nightmare > compared to unibasic. When everyone is talking > APIs, they are mostly talking about the presentation > layer. Presentation layer interface to other > databases is better than U2, but U2 is better for > storing business logic in the database. I am seeing > too many applications being developed out their that > are breaking the rules of client server where the > business logic is in the client. Too many tools use > the database as a simple data repository and require > business rules to be built into the client. _______________________________________________ U2-Users mailing list U2-Users@listserver.u2ug.org http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users
