I said:

>> If most / all of the 10 IMAGESQL weaknesses / deficiencies /
>> omissions listed above were fixed, I would still want the number
> >> one ranked Item 98I01 Bundled ODBC Direct to TurboIMAGE:
> >>
> >> (a)  Just as much.
> >> (b)  Noticeably less, but would still like HP to bundle it.
> >> (c)  A lot less (nice to have, but could get along without it).
>
Bob Graham still wants what he wants:

> My vote is "A+".

> I've just (like, yesterday) finished setting up ODBCSE to work
> with our BOSS/3000 databases, and all I can say is "Geez,
> what a kludge!".

Fred White's paper that I referred to doesn't pull any punches;
IMO it lays out the known deficiencies pretty well....

> Suffice to say that this has to be done better, and a direct
> port to TurboIMAGE is the only way that makes even the
> slightest bit of sense.  .......

Well, I'm afraid the situation we are in now is that regardless
of what HP might have done or could have done or should have
done, they did what they did.  Given that:

(1)  HP made the deal they did with M.B. Foster to bundle just
the "via Allbase" method subset of the full ODBC Link product.

(2)  Both M.B. Foster and Minisoft have 32-bit ODBC products
that provide the "ODBC direct to TurboIMAGE" capability.

(3)  HP has made it clear they do not want to compete with the
established third-party vendors on "ODBC direct to IMAGE";
they want to concentrate on MPE and IMAGE internal
enhancements that only they can do.

(4)  CSY's plate is going to be very full in the next couple years,
with "64-bitness" and expanding a bunch of MPE and IMAGE
limits to deal with large files & etc.

.....  I just don't think the user base will be able to sell HP on
moving "bundled 32-bit ODBC direct to TurboIMAGE" ahead of
the large amount of work they laid out at IPROF.  But users are
fully entitled to vote for what they want, and I can assure all
IMAGE users that this item will remain on the ballot until either
HP finally does the bundle thing or users stop voting for it.

....  In the meantime, trying as best we can to practice the art
of the near-term possible, one last question for Bob (or anyone
else who might want to chime in on this):  Even though you
still want "A+", are there any other specific enhancements to
the IMAGESQL utility (in addition to the 10 that I mentioned
in my earlier post) that might make your life at least a little
easier over the next few years if they were implemented ??

FWIW, and speaking just for myself, I'm willing to bet that at
least for the next 3-4 years the only way users are going to
be able to do direct ODBC to TurboIMAGE without Allbase
is to buy one of the available third-party products.  If you are
going to stay with ODBCLink/SE, I believe that some version
of the IMAGESQL utility is what you are going to have deal
with to use it....  If nothing else, I'm hoping we can convince
HP to make that a little easier to do....

SEMI-SIDEBAR:  It will be interesting to see where "Bundled
ODBC direct to TurboIMAGE" comes out this year on the big
Interex System Improvement Ballot (SIB) that goes out to all
Interex members....

Ken Sletten
SIGIMAGE Chair