Xref: utzoo comp.os.vms:8978 comp.unix.wizards:11349 comp.lang.c:12923 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bu-cs!encore!bzs@xenna From: bzs@xenna (Barry Shein) Newsgroups: comp.os.vms,comp.unix.wizards,comp.lang.c Subject: Re: Record-access libraries (Was: Re: VMS vs. UNIX file system) Message-ID: <3717@encore.UUCP> Date: 25 Sep 88 00:54:44 GMT References: <68855@sun.uucp> <207@cvbnet2.uucp>Sender: news@encore.UUCP Reply-To: bzs@xenna (Barry Shein) Followup-To: comp.os.vms Organization: Encore Computer Corp Lines: 15 In-reply-to: eric@snark.UUCP (Eric S. Raymond) Eric, I disagree and think you dismiss the value of record access libraries too glibly. There's more to it than fixed and blocked record formats. Consider various associative schemes like ISAM or B-TREE management of records by keys (dbm is similar to this under Unix.) These can be very critical to manageable performance in certain areas, particularly the management of large numbers of records where lookup is only by a very few keys and quick insertion of new key/record pairs is needed. Your typical example is a customer data base where lookup/insertion keys is based on some customer code. Particular implementation strategies are a whole other kettle of fish. -Barry Shein, ||Encore||