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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    theKompany.com's KDE-DB in KDE CVS
From:       Alessandro Praduroux <pradu () thekompany ! com>
Date:       2000-12-01 13:04:08
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Hi all, 

As someone of you already know, we're starting to move our public projects to 
KDE CVS. The first project we think is ready to move is KDE-DB (formerly know 
as KDB). 

What is KDE-DB?
-------------

KDE-DB is a generic database access layer that offers a MS-DAO like interface 
to databases. There is no native database, thought, but the low level access 
is made through plugins. Actually there are plugins for MySQL (the most 
advanced one), Postgres and Informix. A plugin for a flat-file database is in 
future plans. (hint, hint)

KDE-DB also offers some data aware widgets and a configuration module to 
setup the connections with different DBMS, along with an ioslave to browse 
databases with Konqueror ;).

KDE-DB then is not an application, but a base library to give apps the 
ability to access database easily

Where can we put it?
----------------

This point is open to discussion, though we think the best place for this lib 
is kdelibs. Here is my proposals:

- kdelibs. After all, it's a generic library, not only office oriented. With 
a lightweight file based dbms, can be easily used to implement utilities like 
kjots, kab and such, unifying the different storage systems in all kde apps. 
(as I said, the file based plugin isn't implemented yet)

- a module on its own. This solution has some drawbacksIMHO: if it's not in 
the core package, some distros can choose not to distribute it. If it becomes 
a standard for database access, users will need to download and install it 
themselves. More, if it's not in the core libs it will not be widely accepted 
as a standard lib, and we will end with different solutions for different 
packages.

- Koffice. Can be a solution, but IMHO limits a lot the possible usages of 
the library.

IMHO this is a subsystem much like arts: not every app around uses arts, but 
the fact that is in kdelibs has made it the de-facto standard for mm apps. 

Having such a standard also for database apps could attract more developers 
to KDE, further increasing the usage of KDE also in corporate desktops.

I worked a lot in big corporations, and half of the everyday work I made was 
based on M$ DAO. Maybe KDE-DB can help closing that gap with M$ platforms.

Regards, 
-- 
Pradu
-----------------------------------------
Alessandro Praduroux
pradu@thekompany.com
http://www.thekompany.com

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