StrongHold & Migrating to Windows
brian_matthewsbrian matthews
brian_matthews_bmw@hotmail.com
Fri, 19 Nov 2004 03:02:26 +0000
regarding your comment about having to learn DOS, there is'nt much to it
from the point of view of having to support powerhouse or Axiant apps.
Also, you'll find loads of reference guides in your library, a simple way to
get a guide is to type 'help' in a dos window as below; I have probably only
needed to use 10 of the commands below for both Axiant and PH.
C:\>help
For more information on a specific command, type HELP command-name
ASSOC Displays or modifies file extension associations.
AT Schedules commands and programs to run on a computer.
ATTRIB Displays or changes file attributes.
BREAK Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking.
CACLS Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files.
CALL Calls one batch program from another.
CD Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHCP Displays or sets the active code page number.
CHDIR Displays the name of or changes the current directory.
CHKDSK Checks a disk and displays a status report.
CHKNTFS Displays or modifies the checking of disk at boot time.
CLS Clears the screen.
CMD Starts a new instance of the Windows command interpreter.
COLOR Sets the default console foreground and background colors.
COMP Compares the contents of two files or sets of files.
COMPACT Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partitions.
CONVERT Converts FAT volumes to NTFS. You cannot convert the
current drive.
COPY Copies one or more files to another location.
DATE Displays or sets the date.
DEL Deletes one or more files.
DIR Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory.
DISKCOMP Compares the contents of two floppy disks.
DISKCOPY Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another.
DOSKEY Edits command lines, recalls Windows commands, and creates macros.
ECHO Displays messages, or turns command echoing on or off.
ENDLOCAL Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file.
ERASE Deletes one or more files.
EXIT Quits the CMD.EXE program (command interpreter).
FC Compares two files or sets of files, and displays the differences
between them.
FIND Searches for a text string in a file or files.
FINDSTR Searches for strings in files.
FOR Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.
FORMAT Formats a disk for use with Windows.
FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension
associations.
GOTO Directs the Windows command interpreter to a labeled line in a
batch program.
GRAFTABL Enables Windows to display an extended character set in graphics
mode.
HELP Provides Help information for Windows commands.
IF Performs conditional processing in batch programs.
LABEL Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk.
MD Creates a directory.
MKDIR Creates a directory.
MODE Configures a system device.
MORE Displays output one screen at a time.
MOVE Moves one or more files from one directory to another directory.
PATH Displays or sets a search path for executable files.
PAUSE Suspends processing of a batch file and displays a message.
POPD Restores the previous value of the current directory saved by
PUSHD.
PRINT Prints a text file.
PROMPT Changes the Windows command prompt.
PUSHD Saves the current directory then changes it.
RD Removes a directory.
RECOVER Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
REM Records comments (remarks) in batch files or CONFIG.SYS.
REN Renames a file or files.
RENAME Renames a file or files.
REPLACE Replaces files.
RMDIR Removes a directory.
SET Displays, sets, or removes Windows environment variables.
SETLOCAL Begins localization of environment changes in a batch file.
SHIFT Shifts the position of replaceable parameters in batch files.
SORT Sorts input.
START Starts a separate window to run a specified program or command.
SUBST Associates a path with a drive letter.
TIME Displays or sets the system time.
TITLE Sets the window title for a CMD.EXE session.
TREE Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or path.
TYPE Displays the contents of a text file.
VER Displays the Windows version.
VERIFY Tells Windows whether to verify that your files are written
correctly to a disk.
VOL Displays a disk volume label and serial number.
XCOPY Copies files and directory trees.
Bri,
>From: Georgia Miller <georgia_miller@mail.gfps.k12.mt.us>
>Reply-To: Georgia Miller <georgia_miller@mail.gfps.k12.mt.us>
>To: PowerHouse Listserv <powerh-l@lists.sowder.com>
>Subject: Re: StrongHold & Migrating to Windows
>Date: 17 Nov 2004 15:46:05 -0700
>
>Dear List,
>
>I agree with Darren. The StrongHold post was extremely timely for me. Our
>HP3000 platform is going away and we are planning to migrate to the Windows
>Environment with SQL Server. We are in the process of deciding what
>development tools we want to use on Windows. We have been a PowerHouse
>shop for 25 years!
>
>I just attended the COGNOS -Migrating Applications With Axiant 4GL class
>in San Ramon, CA last week. It was very informative as in giving us
>options for our migration. We went there to decide whether we want to keep
>Powerhouse and run on either PowerHouse for Windows or Axiant in the PC
>environment. Axiant does give you a great tool to migrate your data from
>the MPEix environment to SQL Server. It will port your data, dictionary, &
>Powerhouse Source for you. By the end of the 2-day class I had one of my
>existing applications working in the Windows environment in PowerHouse for
>Windows.
>
>BUT, we were not very happy about the way that PowerHouse for Windows works
>on the PC. In order to use the tool you have to use DOS commands. I don't
>know DOS because before we had PC's we had Macintosh boxes. It looks like
>they made Powerhouse work on the PC, but it looks like a rush job.
>Learning DOS at this point in my career seems pointless! PowerHouse for
>Windows actually runs in the DOS environment. Axiant has all the graphical
>stuff but it will be a lot of work to port our applications from PowerHouse
>to Axiant.
>
>So our question is, Do we still want to use PowerHouse on the PC. Our 2
>main Powerhouse programmers will be retiring within 3 years, 1 of which is
>me. We are going to replace nearly every application we have with a PC
>based boxed software application. Our Quiz, QTP & Quick code could all
>move right across easily to the PC environment. But do we want to go in
>that direction, when there are so many great tools out there for the PC.
>Our skills in Powerhouse will be going away. We are based in Montana and
>there are few people in Montana with Powerhouse programming skills. Hiring
>someone in Great Falls, Montana with PowerHouse Skills that would want to
>work for a low salary and want to stick around for awhile is next to
>impossible. If we could convert our Powerhouse code to another more
>well-known tool/language that is easier to learn than PowerHouse, has
>lower maintenance costs, people in the community actually have the
>knowledge to know how to use it, etc. we may be w!
> ay ahead. If we were going to port our applications to Axiant it would
>be learning another tool and be a lot of re-programming. And it seems like
>Cognos does not seem very committed to supporting or enhancing PowerHouse.
>Just seeing PowerHouse PC, shows that it was not intended to be a product
>that was meant to be Sold to new users but just pacify the existing users
>until they could do something better.
>
>So when I got back to work on Monday, I started right away to look at other
>options for us in the PC world, other than Powerhouse. I was quite
>thrilled to see that there are products out there that will convert
>PowerHouse Code to a more well known language, like Java. At this point we
>don't know if we want to go to Java or will have that need. But the
>information on StongHold, helps me greatly in my search for what is out
>there, to accomplish our migration.
>
>When I first heard the news that HP was discontinuing the HP3000 MPEix
>world that I have worked in for the last 25 years and got the privilege to
>enjoy for most of my career, I thought at first that I would just retire.
>I can retire with 30 years in March 2005. Maybe it would be best to leave
>the work of converting and learning all new PC stuff to someone else. BUT
>learning new things that has to do with computers is pretty exciting for me
>and I am quite young to retire, since I started in this business when I was
>16. So I've decided to stay for at least 3 more years and help my employer
>at least get a good start on this conversion business.
>
>Thanks Dennis, your post was very helpful and timely for me.
>
>This list does not belong to Cognos, but to the Powerhouse user base. In
>my case, as a Powerhouse user, I may need help moving away from Powerhouse
>as this point in time. We may decide to keep Powerhouse and use Axiant,
>but we may not. My job as an analyst is to investigate all options and
>choose the one that works the best for our users and our department.
>
>Georgia Miller
>Systems Analyst
>Great Falls Public Schools
>Great Falls, MT
>
>On 11/17/2004 2:11 PM, Darren Reely <darren.reely@latticesemi.com> wrote:
> >Michael,
> >
> >Sure, it is both of those things. This list occasionally has discussions
> >
> >regarding moving away from Powerhouse, so I feel it is good information
> >
> >to have. The message was posted in the right place (a PH discussion
> >
> >list) and properly described in the body. Sure, the subject heading
> >
> >could have been better.
> >
> >If Dennis was to take the e-mail addresses from this list and send
> >me
> >unsolicited e-mail, like that other conversion company has, I'd be
> >upset.
> >
> >Dennis, thanks for news. I now am aware of another possibility.
> >
> >Darren.
> >
> >Michael Lee wrote:
> >
> >> (I'm resubmitting this response as the first one was sent from
> >a
> >> different email address is being reviewed)
> >>
> >> With all due respect 'Dennis' (think of Seinfeld saying "Newman")
> >this
> >> advertisement is doubly insulting:
> >> 1) It's an advertisement.
> >> 2) It's about moving people OFF of Powerhouse. Hey-that's our job
> >
> >> you're trying to get rid of!
> >>
> >
> >= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
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> >
> >
>
>= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
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