what is the difference between SQL-92 and 4GL database

[mindus]

Hi
In Progress 10.1.c, what is the difference between SQL-92 and 4GL database?

 

[RealHeavyDude]

The ProgressV9/OpenEdge database has two distinct database engines that you can use to access the data:

• The 4GL database engine - which allows you to access the data through 4GL programs and 4GL programs only. For that you need to connect either via shared memory ( self-service clients ) or as remote client utilizing the TCP based proprietary Progress client/networking protocol. Although there is some crude SQL89 like statements available that the 4GL compiler understands - it's not SQL.
• The SQL92 database engine -which allows you to access the data through JDBC/ODBC drivers and SQL and a client technology capable of utilizing JDBC/ODBC of your choice.

The Progress/OpenEdge database's default and most widely used engine is the 4GL one. In order to user the SQL92 engine you must set it up whereas the 4GL engine is usable out-of-the-box. The reason for that is that the Progress/OpenEdge database is not an SQL database in the first place and security is handled completely different.


Heavy Regards, RealHeavyDude.

 

[tamhas]

Without taking away from RHD's answer at all, I could say "what is the difference between any SQL and any database?". One is a language and one is a database. This has nothing to do with Progress version or, for that matter anything Progress-specific.

A couple of notes.

The ABL has a simple subset of SQL-89 embedded within it. Don't use it for any but the most trivial tasks. Any production use within ABL should almost certainly be ABL.

The embedded SQL-89 and the external SQL-92 have nothing to do with each other. The former is embedded in the ABL engine and the latter is separate.

ABL is compile time optimized. SQL is run time optimized.

ABL is record oriented. It does have some set-oriented functions, but mostly in the end it works record oriented. SQL is set oriented.

SQL has some capabilities we don't have in ABL (grumble, grumble) notably the compile time optimization and the ability to do no-index searches.