[Info-vax] RMS, was: Re: Assembly languages

[Dave Froble]

On 4/11/2022 9:06 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2022-04-11, VAXman-  @SendSpamHere.ORG <VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG> wrote:
>>
>> Careful, there are those here that believe all files should be flat streams
>> of bytes.
>>
>
> There is a strong argument for saying that the RMS record orientated
> model has not stood the test of time.
>
> In this case, I will say that it _was_ the right model for the 1970s/1980s,
> but it's not the right model for 2022. In today's world, it just gets
> in the way.
>
> Also, RMS indexed files were a neat solution for the 1970s/1980s, but
> in todays's world they also have not stood the test of time.
>
> For example, you work on a punched card model as there's no field level
> data structures in the RMS indexed file metadata, and unlike SQL databases,
> you can't extend an RMS indexed file to add a new field, or change the
> size of an existing field, while the applications are running.
>
> Simon.
>

Ahh yes, back to disagreeing with Simon ...

:-)

Your statement is just wrong.

Anything that can be done in any database product can be done, and as RMS is a 
database product, such things could be implemented in RMS.  The fact that they 
are not at this time does not indicate that they could not be done.

I will comment that the RMS developers did far less than they could have done 
back in the day.  Before RMS existed the company I worked for at the time had a 
database product that while file oriented, had the data field metadata and 
utilities that used it.  It was doable back then, the RMS developers just failed 
to do it.

Not a fan of RMS ...

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
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