A layman's guide to the merits of Clarion
(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Clarion Applications Are Efficient
Clarion applications are also efficient. A typical Clarion database application that prints a report produces an executable file of about 800K bytes. Because the database drivers and print engine are included in the .EXE file, most Clarion applications along with test data and documentation can be deployed on a single floppy disk with a single installation step.

Not so with Delphi, Visual Basic, and PowerBuilder applications. They require multiple installation steps, much more disk storage, and a lot more memory. Delphi uses the Borland Database Engine (BDE) to access databases and the ReportSmith run-time to print reports. Each requires a separate installation. Similarly, Visual Basic uses the Jet database engine and Crystal Reports run-time. PowerBuilder applications are self-contained but require the services of a huge set of dynamic link library (DLL) files. The resulting footprint of a Delphi, Visual Basic, or PowerBuilder application is over 8 megabytes.



In other words, Delphi, Visual Basic, and PowerBuilder applications are typically eight to ten times larger than Clarion applications. How can this be?

There are a number of reasons:

• BDE and JET are multi-database engines that contain a lot of functionality an application will never use. Clarion drivers work with a single database. If you want to retarget a Clarion application, you simply change to a different driver.
• Visual Basic applications require a large run-time interpreter called VBRUN.DLL. Like Access, the VBRUN must play all roles for all applications.
• Like VBRUN, the PowerBuilder DLLs must play all roles for all applications.
• ReportSmith was developed by a third party using its own multi-database engine. In other words, the functionality in BDE is duplicated in ReportSmith.
• TopSpeed writes tighter code and uses more efficient tools than Borland and Microsoft. All three companies use their own compiler technology. And TopSpeed compiler technology produces better software.

Clarion Generates Great Code
The fact that Clarion creates source code that programmers don’t have to write is only half the good news. Just as important is the fact that the generated code is guaranteed to please the most discriminating programmer. It is intuitive, airtight, and completely documented - a programmer’s dream.

Clarion database applications are built on an object-oriented framework called the Application Builder Class (ABC) library. The ABC library is a comprehensive and versatile set of objects that provides reusable services for accessing, processing, and displaying data. The ABC library minimizes the generated code while maximizing the functionality available for customizing applications.

Organizing an application into a documented set of documented object interfaces produces stabile, robust executables that can survive continuous upgrades without degrading performance or maintainability.

Clarion Is An Elegant Business Language
Clarion developers love the Clarion language. It is easy to learn, easy to write, and easy to read. Concise but clear, simple yet powerful. The Clarion language was designed specifically for writing Windows business programs. Surprisingly, that makes it unique.

Clarion is the only Windows language with built-in support for database access. It is the only Windows language with built-in support for printing reports. As amazing as this sounds, Clarion is the only Windows language with accurate business math. In fact, Clarion arithmetic produces perfect results of up to 31 decimal digits without rounding errors.

In contrast, Delphi, Visual Basic, and PowerBuilder have no database access commands. None of them support programmable reports. And all three use floating point arithmetic, which is notorious for lost arithmetic significance and precision. No wonder Clarion developers would rather fight than switch.

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

This Text is (C) Copyrighted by TopSpeed Corporation.