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Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

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    Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

    Being a new user of Alpha five, We have appreciated its capabilities when it comes to desktop apps using its native dbf, Just about a while ago, a friend told me that he found out the new release of Filemaker Ver.12, he tried and saw that it is faster in accessing a mysql server, Although dbf's of Alpha five can be quite good enough and in desktop apps, would'nt it be nice to be also good in SQL or Mysql on the Desktop? Some users including me have tested to access a mysql database and is slow on desktop. Applications nowadays are gradually moving from desktop to web, but in some parts of this world, there are still more who prefers to use desktop apps for it's speed compared to webapps,and in some parts Internet access is quite slow and unknown.We noticed that alpha five creators are hard at work in improving alpha five's capabilities on the Web part. Is there a chance for alpha five creators to speed up the accessing of sql server or mysql and other backends on the desktop?Thanks!

    #2
    Re: Future of ALpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

    Hi Jetson,

    Web apps can act like intranet applications, on local machine or local lan. So don't need then internet at all. And are very fast also on mysql. Imho i think you should investigate the features you really need for your desktop app, and if it can be build in web, choose web. Until now i have encountered only one major part where desktop version offers more functionality than webapplication: documentmanagement and integration with MS word (because of direct access to file system which is available for desktop apps).
    Ger Kurvers
    Alpha Anywhere / V4.6.1.9- Build 6488 (production) / V4.6.5.1 - 8722-5683(testing)
    Development: Mysql, windows 10 64 Applicationserver: standard on Windows server 2019

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Future of ALpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

      If the connections and data access (when properly implemented) are as slow as you say (over a lan?).... Then Alpha will have no choice but to fix performance issues on the desktop side..... "No matter how you slice it": IMHO, the desktop side is the foundation for the web side. ~Regardless, I was under the understanding that the slow performance was relevant to .mdb files, and not necessarily SQL/mySQL over a lan......

      That being said, I'd love to see some real world SQL performance comparisons between the two products in the scenario you are depicting. From what I know, Filemaker is a much more "limited application production environment" and I question whether it is actually any faster (all things being equal)......
      Last edited by SNusa; 04-10-2012, 09:29 AM.
      Robert T. ~ "I enjoy manipulating data... just not my data."
      It's all about the "framework." (I suppose an "a5-induced" hard drive crash is now in order?)
      RELOADED: My current posting activity here merely represents a "Momentary Lapse Of Reason."

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Future of ALpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

        Originally posted by JetLi View Post
        ...a friend told me that he found out the new release of Filemaker Ver.12, he tried and saw that it is faster in accessing a mysql server,
        Check it: http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...oper-on-A5-%29

        Originally posted by cptutrecht View Post
        Web apps can act like intranet applications, on local machine or local lan. So don't need then internet at all. And are very fast also on mysql.
        Exactly

        Originally posted by SNusa View Post
        IMHO, the desktop side is the foundation for the web side.
        I don't see that at all?
        Peter
        AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

        [email protected]
        https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


        Comment


          #5
          Re: Future of ALpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

          Originally posted by Peter.Greulich View Post
          I don't see that at all?
          Re: "Desktop being the foundation"

          I meant this in the sense that X-basic is the core of it all, including much of a5 internal code itself.... (So the underlying X-basic language scripting technology (with regards to SQL access) presumably has to work properly at the desktop level first to even think about being "efficient" on the web side.)

          The one question remaining is: What's up with .mdb speed/lack thereof? (I've never heard much of anything positive about this connection capability.)
          Robert T. ~ "I enjoy manipulating data... just not my data."
          It's all about the "framework." (I suppose an "a5-induced" hard drive crash is now in order?)
          RELOADED: My current posting activity here merely represents a "Momentary Lapse Of Reason."

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

            mdb's are one big pile of puppy pooh, while Alpha DBF's and SQL are descrete entities I believe.
            Been wrong once (only) before.
            See our Hybrid Option here;
            https://hybridapps.example-software.com/


            Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
            You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

              Originally posted by Ted Giles View Post
              mdb's are one big pile of puppy pooh, while Alpha DBF's and SQL are descrete entities I believe.
              Been wrong once (only) before.
              I tend to agree. However, about a decade ago I built a web app (using Drumbeat 2000) which connected to huge .mdb's (access 2000 databases vial ole DNS-less connections) with literally hundreds of thousands of records, (read only). It was fast, and had no issues other than possible scaling to many concurrent connections. I later ported it to SQL..... Saw no noticeable difference with only a few concurrent connections!
              Robert T. ~ "I enjoy manipulating data... just not my data."
              It's all about the "framework." (I suppose an "a5-induced" hard drive crash is now in order?)
              RELOADED: My current posting activity here merely represents a "Momentary Lapse Of Reason."

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

                Making a desktop applicatioin using db works great. Changing a desktop to mysql is not so great. I do not think Alpha cares about the desktop anymore and is not interested to get it to work easly with a sql database without going thru Active link tables. They want you to do a web application. In the past (V7 &V8) if you found a bug in the desktop it was fixed in a heartbeat, now you may never get a fix or responce.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

                  Web apps can act like intranet applications, on local machine or local lan
                  How would you handle sending out your desktop apps at say 2-100 a week? Would it get very expensive in cost to have to supply a web server each time? What about the logistics(sql servers, etc)?

                  Desktop is going to be around for a while and there are other ways to get it done(if not alpha). desktop will eventuallyl die as we know it, but other alternatives will be forthcoming to make it where we can continue to supply small companies and individuals with the tools to do their data entry and reports.
                  Dave Mason
                  [email protected]
                  Skype is dave.mason46

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

                    Originally posted by DaveM View Post
                    How would you handle sending out your desktop apps at say 2-100 a week? Would it get very expensive in cost to have to supply a web server each time? What about the logistics(sql servers, etc)?
                    I agree that in case of low priced apps without maintenance contract there is a big problem.
                    - although: at these volumes the appserver will cost no more than 85$ a piece, probably less. Just call sales :-)
                    - initial installation done at customers side will take easily 3 hours, and performing an upgrade you have to charge at least 1/2 hour (see it as a is a part of the revenue for your app :-)
                    - require from customers remote access to perform these installations or upgrades.


                    If your app aims at a market that cannot bear such a pricetag, than Alpha Web isn't a right choice i think. Unless multitenant applications hosted by yourself is acceptable for your customers . But that was clearly stated out of discussion at the beginning of this thread.
                    Ger Kurvers
                    Alpha Anywhere / V4.6.1.9- Build 6488 (production) / V4.6.5.1 - 8722-5683(testing)
                    Development: Mysql, windows 10 64 Applicationserver: standard on Windows server 2019

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

                      I am sure Microsoft will do all it can to keep "desktop" alive so I don't see any either or situation here. Sooner or later the desktop apps and web apps are the same thing. They use same resources and they offer same resources. Windows 8 is the first step. David did say "desktop will eventually die as we know it". I think you can't say it better. The old desktop is soon gone.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

                        Where did this come from?
                        - initial installation done at customers side will take easily 3 hours, and performing an upgrade you have to charge at least 1/2 hour (see it as a is a part of the revenue for your app :-)
                        - require from customers remote access to perform these installations or upgrades.
                        I don't do either of these. My installs can easily be accomplished by a novice pc user without my being there or on line with them.
                        Dave Mason
                        [email protected]
                        Skype is dave.mason46

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Future of Alpha Five Desktop on Mysql or Sql server

                          Originally posted by DaveM View Post
                          Where did this come from?

                          I don't do either of these. My installs can easily be accomplished by a novice pc user without my being there or on line with them.
                          Comes from my own experience the last 1,5 year.

                          Initial installation also means in our case determining with system manager what type of hardware is involved,choosing and installing correct flavour of mysql database with proper settings and some dba administration tools, WAS settings, email settings, mapping to document storage and of course testing whether all planned access is available and works properly.

                          Updates are always tricky because we distribute 1 application to a number of customers. You have to check and keep WAS versions in sync with that of the update (and we get a lot of them you know). Further we need to keep security settings in sync and not ruin the users and their authorization at a customers side.
                          And don't forget the update of the mysql database (but indeed that can be done by a user, but often after reading instructions, we are asked to perform that for them).

                          Would love to learn how you organised that into a fool proof procedure for novice users :-)
                          Ger Kurvers
                          Alpha Anywhere / V4.6.1.9- Build 6488 (production) / V4.6.5.1 - 8722-5683(testing)
                          Development: Mysql, windows 10 64 Applicationserver: standard on Windows server 2019

                          Comment

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