views:

419

answers:

2

Does anyone know how to connect to a Progress 9.1E database from a Mac (or even from Linux)?

I can connect successfully from Windows but the JDBC driver requires that the Progress install directory and it's bin directory are in the path.

It seems to be one product that is firmly under Google's radar. OpenLink has an OSX driver but it is a paid for product, which is fine, but as this is for development use only I'd rather find a free alternative.

Thanks.

A: 

I did a development on MAC with ProgresQL using OpenLink ODBC drivers about 4 years ago. Don't remember to many problems but it introduces commercial problems (costs!).... for deployment.

http://developer.apple.com/internet/opensource/postgres.html

This isn't the same thing is it?

Tony Lambert
Nope. PostgreSQL is an open-source database. And a good one. Whereas Progress is a proprietary database with poor Java support (from what I can see). Any Progress DBAs care to enlighten me?
Damo
maybe you should be using PostgreSQL after all !!!
Tony Lambert
Not my call. It is for a web app to view legacy data which is housed in Progress.
Damo
The Progress database supports JDBC and uses Java triggers from the SQL-92 engine. I'm not sure what else you'd want for "Java support" directly from the db.Mac support is nonexistent. Mac is not a supported platform.9.1E is also ancient, obsolete and essentially unsupported (technically 9.1E04 is "supported" as in "if you have a problem we'll listen and try to help you find a workaround but we won't patch anything").
Tom Bascom
The Progress environment is not just the db though -- it also includes thinks like app servers and Sonic. Or you could code up something using a socket interface. If it's a legacy application that you're dealing with you might find that they have already built interfaces of some sort that you would be better off using.
Tom Bascom
+1  A: 

You need Progress SQL92 Client Access, Mac is unsupported, RedHat, SuSe and several flavours of Unix are.

See Progress Version 9 product availability matrix, look for ODBC and JDBC.

As far as I know there are only two companies in the world that produce ODBC/JDBB connectivity drivers for Progress DB: OpenLink and DataDirect (now acquired by Progress).

Another way is to connect using Progress AppServer, then you'd be able to run Progress 4GL (or ABL - Advanced Business Language) queries/logic on AppServer and output resulting datasets to Java.

The third way is to migrate the data (if this is an option).

Other options include exposing DB via WebSpeed (web application server) or using sockets, files, getting OpenEdge and exposing the data through 4GL web services etc. This will really depend on your data access needs. However all of these methods are non-trivial and require Progress platform and 4GL expertise.

Totophil