>Hi.  I do not much about Visual Age.  Can it be used to write apps that
>will run under Win 95/NT?  What database engines are available for apps
>pgming?  Can anyone recommeend pgming books for Vissual Age - including
>3rd party books.  Pls - sources if you have them.  Thanks.

 JVE>  Visual Age - an IBM product, this means...

 JVE>  1 - You can only write applications for OS2 or IBM related O/S

Wrong.  Visual Age is available for Win95 and WinNT as well.  However, you
have to buy the compiler for Win95 - unlike Watcom, the cross-compilers
aren't available with the "normal" package.  You buy each one
seperately.

 JVE>  2 - Only IBM supported database engines are allowed, i.e: DB2

That would be cool.  However, it's impossible: if I write my own database,
or if I get a library for another DLL or whatever, I can use it: it's still
C++.  DB2 support, however, is likely to be built-in or perhaps just
well-tested.

 JVE>  3 - Poor product documentation and no 3rd party books.

Somehow I doubt this, too.  But I've never bought VAC++ - I just have
what's on the DevCon.

 JVE>  Visual Age C/C++, does have a very powerfull compiler, but the GUI
 JVE>  design tools they can - I`d rather not say..... A very nice tool
 JVE>  to develop system DLL`s and stuff with, but don`t try to write
 JVE>  a GUI application. Your learning curve for this compiler is about
 JVE>  6 months to 1.3 years.

VAC++ looked a lot nicer to learn than Watcom's method of doing PM apps...

 JVE>  Visual Age Basic, don`t even bother looking at it! It does have
 JVE>  compatability with Visual Basic V3 applications, but 90% of your
 JVE>  programs will not work. It claims to have compatability with
 JVE>  Windows 95/NT, but I never saw anything work. Another nice
 JVE>  feature to mention is that it likes to crash OS2 while you are
 JVE>  editing. And it is well known as a slowdown tool. Applications
 JVE>  require at least 90 seconds to start up.

A) It never crashed my system.
B) It worked great here, even if a little slow on my 486.

 JVE>  In conclusion - both products require at least 16meg of memory

No, both products require at least 24MB of memory - VAC++ wants 40.

 JVE>  and this means that your distribution applications also require
 JVE>  machines with 16meg, but don`t worry: it`s not documented anywhere!

What?  That doesn't follow in the least.  The apps made by VAC++ can run on
much lesser machines - they're C++, unlike VAC++ which was written in
SmallTalk.

 JVE>  1. You can either consider writing an OS2 application in Visual Age
 JVE>  C/C++ using resource editors, and that crap, taking you at least
 JVE>  5 months.

Consider getting DevCon - there is the URE that probably would make your day.

 JVE>  2. You can evaluate another compiler, so far the best compiler for
 JVE>  OS2 I have ever seen is Speed Pascal, it`s brilliant! Pitty IBM
 JVE>  does not learn from these people.

Unfortunately, Pascal is not my strong point - C++ is.  You're comparing
apples to oranges: Speed Pascal may be "brilliant" in your
opinion, but it doesn't help someone like me who is writing C++.

 JVE>  3. Consider writing your applications for Windows.

Blasphemy!  :-)


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