Well this weekend, I expanded my toolset for my virtual world project and got
my first hands on with SQL Yoga, Valentina DB VDN Pro and FMPro Migrator Platinum.
I'm going to sneak GLX Application Framework in here as well, because i was using it
with SQL Yoga.
So let me say firstly, I am highly impressed with the customer service i received from
both #trevordevore (Trevor DeVore of BlueMango learning systems), and
David Simpson of .com solutions. I've talked with Ruslan of paradigm software's
Valentina before when i first got my hands on Valentina adk for rev back in version 3.5
and he's pretty responsive and tries to help get to the root of your problem.
So I have to say this week I'm really reminded why i love coding in revTalk. I
mean the stuff i was doing this weekend with it would have taken me a long long
time to code with any other language. It's so intuitive and frees you up to
focus on the problem rather than the language syntax. Your probably wondering
what could i possibly be using these tools for with a virtual world. Well? I'm
glad you asked. Primarily for the back end to the virtual world. The master
servers including the login servers, logic and main applications servers,as
well as the back end tools, reporting, logging is all being done with
revEnterprise and revTalk as the primary language and SQLYoga the glue to the
Valentina DB.
For me it's more important to build the tools i need and know that
they're serving exactly the purpose i need to achieve my goals with this
project, Instead of cramming my ideas into a platform that isn't really specific
enough, I'm rolling my own platform.
My first hands on with SQL Yoga. Okay let me prefix this by saying that i used
BlueMango's screensteps desktop and its pretty nice experience. So I had high
expectations and it hasn't disappointed one bit. Using GLX App framework and
SQLYoga was refreshing. I could get right in make my sql Objects set properties
on them and custom behaviours and manipulate them like regular rev objects all
the while SQLYoga is whipping up some pretty nice sql queries for me in the
background and all without me having to run any regular SQL code. I can work
with my data like i want not spend hours writing sql queries.
Stuff like:
## Create a SQL Record object for 'projects' table
put sqlrecord_createObject("projects") into theRecordA
## Set name property of object
sqlrecord_set theRecordA, "name", "New Project"
## Create record in the database
sqlrecord_create theRecordA put the
result into theError
I mean that's what i call lean and straight to the point.
The commands are clean and powerful mix that with Valentina's speed and ease of
use, it's a thing of beauty. Knowing that as your writing your revTalk code the
SQLYoga is churning out the sql and taking the burden off of you truly is
something to be experienced. The first time i went to look at my db and saw
everything there just like i coded, i was blown away.It was truly a Zen
experience for me. So as i continue to learn more and more about what i can do
with it I'm positive that I'll never want to deal with my db's any other way.
That being said onto Valentina. I have to say that unfortunately i spent alot of
my day looking for the proper documentation on there knowledge base. It's there
just nested but once i found it, it was all good. I installed Valentina Office
to test out some things and V4REV adk to get started with it in my rev app.
Installations are vastly improved from a few versions back. It cleanly placed
things and i could find them easily. Once i saw the VServer Office process was
running i started up Valentine Studio Pro tool which allows you to work with
the db local or remotely in a very nice gui. I created a server connection and
then created my first user and db in seconds literally. It was very intuitive i
didn't even have to use the manual. If you've worked with any other db tool
like navicat or phpmyadmin you'll feel at home. Let me tell you the hype is real
this db is blazing fast. I like the fact that you can use regular SQL but the
Valentina SQL is alot more powerful and lets you work with the sql like you'd
think it should. Joins are painless and it considerably shortens the sql you
have to write for the same statement in regular SQL. example:
Regular SQL:
SELECT * FROM T1 JOIN T2 ON T1.ID = T2.T1_ID
Valentina considers a Foreign Key as kind of Link between tables, and allows to
skip specification of JOIN Condition if exists only one link between two tables:
Valentina SQL:
SELECT * FROM T1 JOIN T2
I think that says a alot so suffice it to say this is the db platform i chose
and i know i wont be disappointed. It's fast, powerful, and flexible and lets
me talk to it in SQL, Valentina SQL, or straight in revTalk as if it was a
native rev db or of course with my new favorite SQL YOGA.
And then there's FMPro Migrator Platinum. Listen, if you where like me wondering
if its worth the upgrade...... YES! It's definitely worth the upgrade. Even if
only for the sweet conversion tools. Like basic to revTalk, php to revTalk and
many more. I have not tapped into alot of the features like i said it's only
been a weekend and most of that was spent trying to wrap up Flex and Blaze
implementation for work but, I was working on a coming soon page for the virtual
world and decided to give the php to revTalk converter a spin and convert a
email.php handler to revTalk. And i was pretty impressed.It spat out the
conversion pretty fast even thought the file was small it only took like .6
seconds. As well as the script conversion wasn't bad. It had to be cleaned up a
little because the php code wasn't that clean but, it was a peek into the
potential. Once I get a handle on how to set the php files up for the conversion
I'm sure it will definitely display the power of this. My next experiment will
be a db to rev application conversion and I'll make another blog about that.
Anyways I'm left feeling really good about the choices for the back end. Even in
the small time i got to work on it this weekend I got ALOT done. Pound for pound
i think i got twice as much done working with these tools then waiting for the
java and python servers to act right. GLX is very nice i really enjoyed working
in the framework its good, clean. and don't get in the way much kinda framework.
I for one appreciate that.
I'll post more as i progress with these tools and I'm really happy to be apart
of the rev community and using some really awesome apps.
Doc~