Is learning the Caché database hard coming from relational databases and object oriented programming language like Delphi ?

Question

I am currently running the local version of Caché on my system in order to determine if I can (and will) take on a new possible project.

The current project uses Delphi 7 as a front end calling a Caché dll where the business logic is stored in the database.

I have a background of Sqlserver and Firebird (and before Access and Paradox) as databases.

I use Delphi 7 for 95% of my Windows development, so I know about object programming.

I would like to recieve opinions from persons having used Caché and either SqlServer, Firebird or Oracle and having developed in Delphi (or C++ or C# - an object oriented language).

I have read the pro's and con's from other questions, but I am not asking for this, I need input from Caché developers.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I am curious about this object database. I don't see any reference to Delphi users with this database on their web site. They do mention they have a COM interface, which might be easier than a Raw C style API (if they also have that) because at least string buffer allocation/management and your wrapper code will hopefully be simpler.

However, you will have no way of connecting to data aware controls, so I would plan on doing a lot of "roll your own" work. My intuitive opinion is that you might be the only guy on the planet using Delphi with this database. Delphi is a small fish in the development tools world though, so that might just more be a fact about Delphi more than a fact about Cache, which is a horribly NON-Googlable technology name, by the way.

Answer 2

You can find information about Caché by googling for Intersystems--that's really the best way. You can also search under the old name of the language, MUMPS.

I knew nothing about Caché when I started working on it fresh out of college, and I don't think it was that hard to learn. Like most scripting languages, it's best to learn by trying things out in the terminal and learning your way around.

Also, Caché has a built-in SQL mapping system so that you can have it behave like a relational database externally but still leverage some of the powerful non-relational concepts under the hood.

Answer 3

Friend, there are two ways to access Caché via Delphi, and is a personal project of Brazil - friends - who are developing a framework for free Caché Object Oriented.

I tell you, you're not only using Caché with Delphi, but I do not recommend. The best would be to use CSP pages, or use some better language like C # or C + +. I worked a lot with CSP and recommend to you. After all, remember, the Internet is all.

I can send you some examples - I think I have at home - just send me a message. Sucess

Answer 4

The company that I worked just a little time ago uses Caché and they have a bunch of projects using Caché and delphi. In fact, they uses the VISM.OCX just to connect and pass parameters to database (PLIST variable and such) but in any time they run any M command directly from application to DB, just call the routines.

Is not that hard to learn about it, but in nowdays we are leaving it! Beside Caché is incredibly fast, the lack of tools and support don't makes him a good option in nowdays...even there's a rumour that intersystems is "leaving the boat" of caché to work in a new system.

Answer 5

I have been working on the 2008 Caché version for a few months now. It's possible to learn\use, but extremely unpleasant. The IDE is simplistic and unhelpful with errors (it doesn't even pick up case sensitive syntax problems until it crashes at runtime). The documentation is terrible and there's nothing online, compared to to the amount of information on SQL Server or MySql. And you're learning something that probably won't be of much help in your future career. Personally, I would avoid any project that uses Caché if you have any alternative.