Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
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From: jnedzel@netcom.com (Gared Nedzel)
Subject: Re: VisualWorks 2.0 vs. PowerBuilder
Message-ID: <jnedzelCz6o27.KvG@netcom.com>
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
References: <39otfv$23e@theopolis.orl.mmc.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 1994 01:56:30 GMT
Lines: 31

In article <39otfv$23e@theopolis.orl.mmc.com> anita_mangan@ccmail.orl.mmc.com writes:
>I have been working on a development project using PowerBuilder 3.0a.
>I have just been given an evaluation copy of VisualWorks 2.0 to evaluate
>as a possible development tool rather than PowerBuilder.  Has anyone 
>worked on both products?  I would appreciate any comments and comparisons.
>Thanks.....


Apples and oranges.  Both are good products, but for different projects.
While PowerBuilder (PB) supports inheritance of non-visual objects, if
you are using PB datawindows, then you are dealing with database rows and
columns, not objects.  Consequently, if you are using datawindows, you are 
developing a two layer application (view layer and database layer).  If you
use non-visual objects in PB, then you aren't using the datawindow.  And if 
you aren't using the datawindow, then you shouldn't be using PB, because 
that is its strength.  So, PB is good at developing workgroup client-server
apps where performance and reuse are not key issues.  (PB can be quite slow.)

With smalltalk, you deal with objects, so you can develop multi-layer
applications (e.g., model, view, controller, access, etc.).  The result is an
application which can be changed much more easily.

Smalltalk has a bigger learning curve.  While the language syntax is simple,
the class libraries are large and it takes a while to really start
thinking in objects.  Some people never make the transition.  PB, on the other
hand, is really just Basic.

Smalltalk is much more powerful and flexible, but it requires a bigger 
investment in training and time.


