C# managed provider

[Alex]

Hi all,

From what I've read in the documentation there are projections for
Java and COM.

However there is no support for C# projections. ie: generate client
stub C# source files from EO types.

Also there is no managed connection provider for EO types. Basically I
would expect this to work like Oracle or SQL server managed provider.

This would need to support pooled connections and be thread safe.

Another C# spin off perhaps worth investigation is support for LINQ.
ie: developers are being weaned off using:
OO syntax to navigated object graphs
SQL to query databases
XPath to query XML

instead MS is trying to push LINQ as a unified language of all three
"formats".
Could a managed provider for EO also provide support for LINQ queries?

[Terry L. Wiechmann]

There is only support for Java Projections (Proxies) but that does not
mean we cannot extend it to include support for other languages.

I think in our quest to be Open Source, we ignored the MS side.

[Alex]

I suppose with Open Source you can either compete for a bigger slice
of the existing open source pie or try to attrach new developers to
using open source platforms.
Maybe that means getting new developers to use or evaluate EsiObjects
at arms length.
Maybe that means looking at facilitating the migration from other
technologies to EsiObjects

[K.S. Bhaskar]

What is needed is a compelling / interesting sample application built
with EsiObjects - and maybe a Youtube video of building it in 10 minutes
to go with it.

-- Bhaskar

[Terry]

When EsiObjects actually became a viable product, the MUMPS world
started to implode. Long story short - it got stereotyped as a way to
wrap MUMPS "legacy" databases and integrate that data with "new"
technology. It was never designed for that but that is what it is
known for in most circles today. All it's successes are wrapped up in
VistA and CHCS and they are still trying to dump MUMPS... :-(

Ok, here is a long winded description of the road-map and it is up for
discussion and modification. I was just getting ready to put it up as
milestones on Assembla. So this has given me the excuse to write the
descriptions (sorry to bore you).

* EsiDB - A database implementation 'comparable' to CouchDB (well,
maybe??). I have the initial implementation in place. It was easy to
implement because EsiObjects has rich libraries of reusability. It
contains:

- System Manager object that is responsible for setup and
initialization as well as other functions that can be added,
- A Message Manager object that is responsible for informational
messages include error processing and logging, etc.,
- DataTable that subclasses ESI$IndexedTable and implements a table
database. See https://www.assembla.com/spaces/EsiObjects/milestones
for a description. John McManamon is enhancing it.
- DBContainer that uses EsiObjects NamePools to manage the data
tables. I'm looking into using the EsiDoc library for this since it is
an abstract document management implementation capable of managing any
target object.
- The database facade is separated from the application facade. The
application facade is organized by app and uses the database. So, each
new application can be implemented as a separate class.

* EsiAuthor/Tutor - ESI has had around a dozen Computer Based
Instruction (CBI) courses for about 20 years now (and they are still
selling). Most of them are still relevant: Intro, Intermediate and
Advanced M Programming, Intro and Intermediate File Manager, VMS
Concepts, etc. They are VT100 based - lots of line drawing, use of
renditioning (bold and italics), etc. The M courses contain content
that covers the 1995 standard. All content exists in M globals.
Courses include lots of diagrams and animations to demonstrate
concepts, simulations to demonstrate graphically what each language
element does, interactive quizzes with statistical collection,
interactive full screen editor (written in M), in-line execution of
the students routines. I want to create the Authoring and driver
(Tutor) as FOSS. I need to make the content pluggable and actually
sell it. It looks like I can convert the content of each course into
HTML/SVG files. I plan on using EWD/GT.M for the front/backend.
Anyway, this is the first application I have planned. It will use
EsiDB as the database to store student information, statistics, etc.
I'm still up in the air about the details...

I realize these are not "real" applications but it's all I have at
this point.

And yes, I planned on a some short YouTube How To's...

Thoughts, comments...

Terry

[Terry L. Wiechmann]

You know, now that I got all that other stuff out of my head (which I will do anyway),
this fits in with an idea I had when I saw Rob's paper. It would be simple to create a
10 minute application using EsiDB (or any of the reusable objects) - contact list... whatever!
It would give me the opportunity do some video work... cool! 8-)

--
Terry L. Wiechmann
978-779-0257
http://www.esitechnology.com