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

[Jan-Erik Söderholm]

Den 2022-04-11 kl. 16:13, skrev 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.

What part of it? I find it mostly correct. A standard database product
(we can pick Rdb since this is VMS) is just so much easier to deal with
then a bunch of RMS files. And that is straight out-of-the-box, with no
home-made tools to completment with.

> 
> 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 ...
> 

As Simon indicated, RMS (indexed) files has passed their best-before date.
I do not see anyone writing a new application based on RMS indexed files.

Jan-Erik.