PDKC2M.QKC (POW) -Reply

[alex ling]

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A Ling.



---Lindley HILL <LHILL@doh.health.nsw.gov.au> wrote:
>
> Thanks Allison for the explanation.
> 
> While I am sure there were sound economic reasons behind the
decision to go that way, it seems odd not to provide an upgrade path
to a product - particularly one as useful as 'POW'. It seems odd to
need to use a 2.5GL dictionary with a 4GL development tool.
> 
> Add my name to the list of those who would like to see the old
functionality of dictionary maintenance on VMS continued.
> 
> Lindley Hill
> NSW Dept of Health
> Sydney, Australia
> 
> >>> "Hamilton, Allison" <Allison.Hamilton@Cognos.COM> 10/March/1999
05:30am >>>
> I'm going to reply to only a couple of the comments included here...
> 
> > Another thing I don't understand is why, knowing that the dictionary
> > format
> > was about to be totally changed in version 8 (one of the reasons
given for
> > the withdrawal of "POW"), it was also changed radically between
versions
> > 7.10.F and 7.10.G. 
> > 
> PowerHouse 8 is a common-code version of PowerHouse.  For numerous
> historical reasons, which I won't get into, the UNIX/HP code base
(which was
> already merged) was used as the code base.  Those platforms have
never had
> POW, and have always been a script based, not dynamically updateable
> dictionary environment.  (Architect has existed on HP for a long
time, and
> it provides a screen-based dictionary maintenance facility - but it
> generates QDD/PDL code and then compiles the dictionary.) 
PowerHouse 8.10
> is not currently a direct upgrade path for 7.10 customers because of
this
> and other machine specific differences between the two product
versions.
> PowerHouse 8.10 does, however, provide access to additional
databases.  The
> dictionary for PowerHouse 8.10 was not 'changed' in the sense that
it has
> always been the format supported by the UNIX/HP environment, and is
now that
> supported on VMS for 8.10 using the common code version of PH.
> 
> The 7.10 dictionary format was changed to enable support for Y2K
features.
> It meant expanding element/item/usage and system options for the new
> features.  The two dictionary format changes are totally different
issues,
> althought I admit, without the history, it would not appear that
way.  
> 
> > I do not see why we should have to "ask" for POW in version 8.
Cognos has
> > withdrawn a fundamental (IMHO) feature of the product and we would
like it
> > put back!
> > 
> While I understand what you are saying about this, because of the
change in
> code base, POW would have to be 'put back in' for VMS because the
underlying
> environment of the UNIX/HP code base never had it. That is one of the
> reasons why it is not considered a direct upgrade path for 7.10
customers at
> this time.
> 
>  ...but the whole underlying format was changed to make it
> > accessible to the standard PowerHouse tools like QSHOW and QUIZ ...
> > 
> The opening of the dictionary format to QSHOW was an internal
switch, and
> did not require a change in format in any way.  It was a policy
decision
> change.  I'm not sure if this change has been made in PH 8 or not. 
I will
> pose the question internally.
> 
> 
> Allison Hamilton
> As always - my opinions are my own, and not necessarily that of my
employer.
> 
> > ----------
> > From:  Kevin Gordon[SMTP:Kevin.Gordon@seacontainers.com]
> > Sent:  Monday, March 08, 1999 9:37 AM
> > To:  powerh-l@lists.swau.edu
> > Subject:  RE: PDKC2M.QKC (POW)
> > 
> > I know this has been said before, but to those of us that have
only used
> > PowerHouse on VMS, the concept of not having "POW" available for
> > dictionary
> > maintenance is almost inconceivable. It has certainly never been
thought
> > of
> > as an "add-on" to be withdrawn at some future date and was never
presented
> > as such by Cognos - it was part of the original package we were
sold. For
> > the sort of things I routinely have to do I find PDL virtually
unusable
> > with
> > all its idiosyncrasies and restrictions. PDL has some use for
selectively
> > updating production dictionaries on remote machines but it is
ludicrous
> > that
> > even PDL is only available in the full development licence, so the
> > dictionary still has to be copied back to the development machine
anyway.
> > 
> > I do not see why we should have to "ask" for POW in version 8.
Cognos has
> > withdrawn a fundamental (IMHO) feature of the product and we would
like it
> > put back!
> > 
> > Another thing I don't understand is why, knowing that the dictionary
> > format
> > was about to be totally changed in version 8 (one of the reasons
given for
> > the withdrawal of "POW"), it was also changed radically between
versions
> > 7.10.F and 7.10.G. I know that some change was required to
accommodate the
> > Y2K enhancements, but the whole underlying format was changed to
make it
> > accessible to the standard PowerHouse tools like QSHOW and QUIZ
(and,
> > ironically, POW, but this probably isn't a good idea). This was a
welcome
> > improvement that allows the development of user-written dictionary
> > reporting
> > tools, but all this is (presumably) lost again in version 8. Weird.
> > 
> > Kevin Gordon, Sea Containers, London
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-powerh-l@sphere.swau.edu
> > [mailto:owner-powerh-l@sphere.swau.edu]On Behalf Of Hamilton,
Allison
> > Sent: 05 March 1999 17:55
> > To: powerh-l@lists.swau.edu; 'STEWARTM@dteenergy.com'
> > Subject: RE: PDKC2M.QKC (POW)
> > 
> > 
> > On VMS, where POW was created, the dictionary is a set of indexed
files,
> > allowing for easy access and update through a set of QUICK
screens. (VMS
> > originally had no other dictionary interface.)
> > In PH 8 (and previous PH versions on UNIX, HP/IX and MPE/V
platforms) the
> > dictionary is a single direct (or relative?) file.  It's format
does not
> > allow for updating and expansion through POW in the straight-forward
> > manner
> > that it does on pre-PH 8 VMS with indexed files.  It was not
designed to
> > be
> > dynamically updateable and expandable.
> > 
> > BUT - keep asking for POW on PH 8, and if enough people want it,
there
> > will
> > be a business case for finding a way to get it into PH 8.
> > 
> > Where there is a will --- there is always a way...
> > Allison Hamilton
> > As always - my opinions are not always that of my employers, but
are mine
> > alone.
> > 
> > 
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