Approaching Omnis again scares me, too much to learn?

[Mike Matthews]

Hello Das/Bryan,

Support for multi user native datafile is still there, but via the ODB.  Not sure why really, but maybe because Apple removed the joint byte range record locking for AFP and SMB on OSX server when they left OS9 days and moved to OSX.  Microsoft are none to sharp on this either, so software vendors like Omnis, have to follow the OS people.

And I think I have seen a SQLITE ODB, unless I've started dreaming.

So Omnis data file will be supported for a while yet, but Omnis are pushing new developers to SQL for sure.  We converted about 8 years ago, and now never look back.  The process wasn't without its ups and downs, and as Chris Ross says, think differently.

And I would never call Wendy a Dinosaur!

Mostly, its about your mindset and how you deliver a product for the client that works for the client, not for you.  Listen to the client, and deliver what he needs.

Good luck, and there will always be help here for you Das.

Mike





Mike Matthews, Managing Director, Lineal Software Solutions Ltd

Apple Reseller, Microsoft Partner, SQLWorks Business Partner
phone: 01271 375999 | web: lineal.co.uk <http://www.lineal.co.uk/> | email: mike.matthews at lineal.co.uk <mailto:mike.matthews at lineal.co.uk>
> On 4 Jan 2018, at 00:21, Bryan Brodie <brb at appimatic.com> wrote:
> 
> hi Das, Wendy, Randy, list,
> 
> I think it is a mistake to neglect the native Omnis datafile, but those of
> us who used it well in the past, are in the minority today.
> 
> Laptops, desktops and local servers hosted on intranet LANs are dying, but
> that was the environment that Omnis and the native datafile thrived in.
> 
> Omnis Inc has made it clear that native datafile is kaput, by no longer
> supporting multi-user in the MacOS. So, no more multi-user native DF Omnis
> MacOS apps going forward.
> 
> I saw the writing on the wall back in 2012. Omnis withering, not keeping up
> with standards, no longer a 'rapid application development' platform,
> limited compared to Linux / Apache / NGINX, expensive to license / scale
> compared to free open source solutions.
> 
> Looked into iOS but too proprietary, and Apple is too capricious. So, I
> took the plunge with LAMP architecture, native JS, HTML 5 / CSS, and beefed
> up my SQL skills.
> 
> Now very happy creating small business web applications, using a code
> generator engine written in Omnis (6).
> 
> I can singlehandedly, cost effectively create small workgroup solutions
> that integrate with Google APIs (drive, mail, calendar) - for free. Native
> code, no hoop-jumping and can solve most problems by searching Stack
> Overflow.
> 
> PHP recently went to V7 and is awesome: if you like Omnis programming you'd
> love PHP. Plus, once you get down the basics, there are literally millions
> of resources to learn the fine details.
> 
> Apple is getting ready to totally lock down the MacOS - it will be iOS with
> a keyboard and mouse next go round and you won't be able to look under the
> hood.
> 
> I was 53 when I switched, glad I did, my business acumen has served me well
> in the transition and the open source world is amazing and limitless.
> 
> I made good money developing Omnis small business software, but I
> personally do not feel that the platform is well suited to mobile / web
> development.
> 
> That's my personal opinion but I did use Omnis since 1985 and I still use
> it, for creating my own web application system development tools.
> 
> I am glad to see so much activity in the Omnis world and hope it is around
> for a very long time.
> 
> IMHO open source & Linux are where its at.
> 
> bryan brodie
> 
> From: Plum Hollow Software <plum_hollow at cogeco.ca>
>>   
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: omnisdev-en [mailto:omnisdev-en-bounces at lists.omnis-dev.com] On
>> Behalf Of Das Goravani
>>> Sent: 02 January 2018 23:55
>>> To: OmnisDev List - English
>>> Subject: Approaching Omnis again scares me, too much to learn?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Hello All,
>>> 
>>> I am RE approaching Omnis with a view to becoming a developer/consultant
>> to businesses.
>>> 
>>> I am completely expert with Omnis and the native database it provides,
>> but don?t know SQL or anything else, I only know Omnis. I don?t know any
>> other language at all.  I go back to 86 but haven?t done anything for ten
>> years.
>>> 
>>> It?s scary enough to have to learn SQL and how to connect to databases.
>> But all the stuff you guys and gals discuss here and on the other forum
>> scares me.  How did you all learn all about Java and Jason and Restful etc
>> etc.  How do you keep it straight in your heads?
>>> 
>>> My real question is this:  If I could learn SQL and how to setup and
>> maintain backends and the connectivity, is that enough to be a consultant
>> today?  I imagine right away the next point is that businesses will want
>> phone access apps, tablet apps, to access their databases and then I?d be
>> looking at Javascript which I don?t know.
>>> 
>>> At age 57 and reapproaching, I wonder how much time it takes to learn
>> these things and begin consulting.
>>> 
>>> Are all these fancy other things smaller than Omnis learning itself?  I
>> sure hope so.  It took a good while to learn Omnis.  I?m very good at Omnis
>> but only Omnis Native.  Don?t yet know what a Schema is, but I can do
>> notation to control anything, I can do complex interfaces and handle
>> complex data.  Just dont know anything else.  Do any businesses still go
>> for using the Native Datafile?  With that I?m ready already.
>>> 
>>> One reason I want to learn SQL is to earn more.  The businesses for
>> which the Native datafile is appropriate are smaller and poorer.  I believe
>> you can charge more to the SQL requiring businesses.  Comments?
>>> 
>>> Is the "Lone Developer" still possible?   You all seem to be in teams.
>>> 
>>> Just scared badly.   Any help appreciated.
>> 
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