Ben Agee wrote: "The company that I work for wants to explore the possibility of writing software with a Windows front-end that reads and writes data from/to the HP-3000 Image/SQL databases. We currently have many databases on the HP-3000 in Image and completely switching from Image is not an option. = Can anyone recommend PC Windows based development tools that are worth investigating? Thanks for any information." Here are some thoughts, for what they're worth (FWTW?) :-) You first need to categorize the kind of development you want to do. I = could suggest some categories: 1) Use a high-level development tool (effectively a 4GL on PC). You could= look at Powerbuilder (this seems quite popular), or perhaps Gupta SQL Windows.= As with any 4GL, the disadvantage is probably going to be cost (ie may not = be easy to justify with a pilot project) 2) Use a lower level language (more akin to a 3GL). You might investigate= Microsoft's Visual Basic, or even Visual C++ if you feel really brave = :-). Very low cost to get started, but may become unwieldy if you have a big projec= t. 3) Use a PC database or spreadsheet with ODBC connectivity (eg MS-Access,= or Paradox perhaps). You can get pretty sophisticated applications going = these days, just by using a spreadsheet. And of course, this is a fairly cheap = way to get started. 4) Personally, and IMHO, I wouldn't try to write your own server on the = HP3000. It would involve you in a lot of complication, and apart from HP I know = of two other companies who currently have products to do this. Why reinvent the = wheel is my motto! I emphasize that I'm not endorsing any of the products I've mentioned, = they're just intended as generic examples. Yours sincerely, Martin Knapp =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Any opinions expressed herein are my own, and should not be used to incriminate my employer or anybody else: living, deceased, or imaginary. Martin Knapp Voice: (+44)-1689-877-933 Proactive Systems FAX: (+44)-1689-891-475 Central Court E-Mail: [log in to unmask] Knoll Rise Orpington Kent, BR6 0JA United Kingdom