Informix 4GL to Java – How does it work?

ArtinSoft’s Informix 4GL migration solution comprises a process that automatically converts all your Informix 4GL components (source files, forms, help files) to pure Java components (files in Standard Java source code). Automation averages about 90% for a mid-complex application, and the percentage of the application that cannot be automatically converted by ArtinSoft’s tool is migrated manually in order to achieve 100% functional equivalence. ArtinSoft guarantees that the resulting Java application will work in the very same way your Informix 4GL system did, and re-architecturing issues can be handled after the migration process. Furthermore, our tool can generate “applets”, if you want to web enable your application, and reports are displayed on the screen through a utility called “Report Viewer”, which enables you to configure fonts, colors, margins and additional formatting options.


How does it differ from “wrapper” technologies like Four J’s and Querix?

Due to its nature, Informix 4GL was often used for batch systems. Web applications were more rarely built with this language, since 4GL is not very well suited for this environment; lack of support of very interactive Informix 4GL features, like AFTER / BEFORE FIELD, have always harmed those solutions. So “wrapper” technologies were developed in order to provide an interface for the source code to the modern code environment. Querix offers Arachne, and Four J’s has a BDS (Web Front End) and a Genero-based solution, which are not compatible. However, with these solutions you still have to maintain and support the legacy source code. What’s more, these solutions are expensive, tying users to high licensing and support fees. These are just some of the disadvantages:

  • Not a real application renewal solution: You just get a 4GL language with proprietary extensions
  • High cost: With per-user run-time licensing, it can quickly become expensive
  • Very strict licensing policy: This can cause many wasted hours. For example, it is enough to change a network card in your server to have to re-license the product.
  • Strong vendor lock-in: For example, once you start using Four J’s Genero extensions, your code will become incompatible with the rest of the x4GL compilers
  • Technical limitations: For example, Genero offers connectivity to most databases through its proprietary extension, Open Da-tabase Interface (ODI). However it lacks a standard JDBC / ODBC connection to access source of information not accessible via ODI.

On the contrary, ArtinSoft performs genuine migrations that free you from the constraints of obsolete technologies, completely transforming the legacy application to a highly maintainable, open source Java codebase.