PHD

[Hamilton, Allison]

PHDMaint is similar in function to the dictionary maintenance portion of
Architect, but substantially different in look and feel, from my point of
view.  Originally VMS PowerHouse had NO source version of the dictionary,
just the live dictionary maintained by PHDMaint.  Later PDL was added as a
way to manage the dictionary through source.  It makes it much easier to
copy and modify some things from dictionary to dictionary.  It is also easy
to generate from the compiled dictionary through QSHOW.

Architect is built by an external company, originally to help maintain
QDD-type dictionaries and application information on HP platforms.  On VMS
there is an application only version of Architect, but the dictionary
maintanence doesn't exist there because PHDMaint already existed.

I've used QDD, Architect, PHDMaint and PDL during my life as a user of
PowerHouse (over a 20 year period).   When I was involved in production
work, I certainly preferred PHD over them all.  Now, I tend to use PDL more
often because I usually get my dictionaries supplied by someone else, and I
never work with the same one for very long.  It's easier to move around a
single source file than several compiled dictionaries.  I've gotten so
comfortable making changes in the code, that even though PHDMaint is
available, I don't often use it.  As with everything, it is all what you are
used to.  PDL is quite straightforward to use once you've spent a little
time with it.  But, if I were back in a production environment, I would
certainly want PHDMaint!

As to PDL being more verbose than QDD... it's a whole lot more powerful as
well, so it has to be somewhat more verbose to support that additional
functionality.
Allison Hamilton
	As always.... our points of view are our own, and not necessarily
endorsed by or the same as those we work for.
> ----------
> From: 	Tony Knowles[SMTP:tony_knowles@ferntree.co.nz]
> Sent: 	Wednesday, November 18, 1998 3:07 PM
> To: 	powerh-l@lists.swau.edu
> Subject: 	RE: PHD
> 
> Robert,
> What is PHDMaint, Architect by another name?
> I used to used Architect to maintain my QDD dictionaries, had a lot of
> problems going to PDL and version 7, so have gone back to text editing the
> dictionary source. Hope to get back to using Architect some day.
> I agree that PDL isn't that much different to learn than QDD, a lot more
> verbose though.
> 
> Tony Knowles
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-powerh-l@sphere.swau.edu
> > [mailto:owner-powerh-l@sphere.swau.edu]On Behalf Of Robert J.M. Edis
> > Sent: Thursday, 19 November 1998 08:03
> > To: 'powerh-l@lists.swau.edu'
> > Subject: re: PHD
> >
> >
> > Georgia
> >
> > The PHDMaint utility is like using Windows whereas PDL is like is DOS
> > commands.  People like me have become somewhat lazy by using the 'POW'
> > command instead of editing PDL source.  PHD stands for PowerHouse
> > Dictionary and instead of a PDC file compiled using PDL it is a set of 5
> > files forming the dictionary metadata.  PHDMaint allows one to maintain
> > the dictionary interactively rather than recompile for every change.
> >
> > The 'danger' with interactive dictionary maintenance is that the
> > metadata integrity can become corrupted without PowerHouse telling you
> > so in an obvious way such as a compile error.  I am working on a
> > dictionary at the moment that was originally created in 1987!  When I
> > tried to create a temporary working version from a PDL extract file I
> > couldn't.  There were too many integrity issues in the PDL source.
> >
> > These issues manifest themselves in PowerHouse compiled code by
> > unexplained and random behavior.
> >
> > In short, I LOVE using PHDMaint vs PDL but it requires a very
> > disciplined approach to maintenance.
> >
> > Blue
> > PowerHouse consultant
> > Rhode Island, USA
> >
> > Disclaimer:
> > The opinions and ideas expressed in this message are my own and have no
> > relationship to my current employer, Initial Technical Staffing, its
> > client CCI, or any of CCI's clients.
> >
> >
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