A5V@PSUVM.BITNET (05/06/89)
does anyone knows what NATURAL is? All I know is that it is a package used in IBM mainframes. What is it ? . Any information will be appreciated. Thanks
bobd@bloom.UUCP (Bob Donaldson) (05/08/89)
NATURAL is Software AG's 4GL that runs in conjunction with Adabas - their DBMS. The system runs (as the original poster mentioned) in a BIG BLUE environment. The language is not too bad and very easy to for a new user to learn simple 'display to screen' kinds of queries. As a programmer, I don't like the fact that it "protects" me from getting into trouble by leaving features out. A sampling of the most glaring ommissions - arrays and subroutines. Still, if you don't have a lot of math to worry about, you can develop nice applications quite quickly. -=- Bob Donaldson ...!cs.utexas.edu!natinst!radian!bobd Radian Corporation ...!sun!texsun!radian!bobd PO Box 201088 Austin, TX 78720 (512) 454-4797 Views expressed are my own, not necessarily those of my employer.
bjornb@rhi.hi.is (Bjorn H Bjornsson) (05/14/89)
In article <624@bloom.UUCP> bobd@bloom.UUCP (Bob Donaldson) writes: > > ... As a programmer, I >don't like the fact that it "protects" me from getting into trouble by >leaving features out. A sampling of the most glaring ommissions - arrays >and subroutines. Not quite true. Natural has been updated to Natural 2, which is a HUUUGE improvement over version 1. Nat 2 has among other things both arrays and subroutines (which admittedly should of course have been included from the start). As a programmer I don't like everything about it, but then I can always find something to dislike in every language. Nat2 with adabas and integrated documentation facilities etc., is actually a very powerful package, and can be used to do anything anyone would ever want a db to do. Lower level programming with no protection is always availible through external assembler/plI/etc routines. Bjorn Disclaimer: These are my opinions [but probably also those of my employer =) ] -- Bjorn Heimir Bjornsson Internet: bjornb@rhi.hi.is University of Iceland UUCP: {mcvax,enea}!hafro!rhi!bjornb