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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    ODBC in kdesupport?
From:       Lars Doelle <lars.doelle () on-line ! de>
Date:       1999-06-09 1:39:07
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Folks,

the overall odbc situation on linux seems to be improved enough
that i can advice to include a odbc driver manager and an odbc c++
wrapper library into kdesupport.

For reference, have a look to <http://orcane.net/freeodbc++/>.

Including a driver manager appears to be necessary, since it is
not available in any distribution (though around since years).

Including the wrapper library appears to be necessary, since:
1) the native odbc interface is unsuited to c++.
2) is not included in any distribution, yet.
3) A decision which library to use with kde for database
     access has to be made, i strongly suggest to use the
     refered to above.

Both libraries together form a self-sufficient odbc base system,
much like the way it is offered in windos. For use with a specific
dbms, one needs an additional database specific odbc driver.

Currently, the only flawless freeware driver is the one for mysql.
The postgresql driver still needs a little kick here and there, but
overall in a good shape, too. The msql driver is not longer maintained.
Drivers for the commercial databases a available, too, some only
for $.

Both the driver manager and the freeodbc++ wrapper are LGPL.

Beside the "official" dm, iodbc, a second, newer dm, unixodbc,
see <http://genix.net/unixODBC>. The later one is more actively
maintained and a strong candidate for an iodbc successor. Since
including two alternative dms does not make much sense, my
advice is to give preference to the iodbc dm first, together with
a decent note that unixodbc should be considered as a replacement.

Including the libraries would not only enable kde applications
to become SQL database clients (the dbms could reside both
on a linux system or on another os), but would also propagate
the odbc api, which is not yet used in the unix world, but _the_
standard on ms systems. If we want the linux desktop in a
corporate environment, it will not be without a proper db client
api, and that is odbc.

After all, my proposal is to include both iodbc and freeodbc++
into kdesupport, to enable kde applications to interface with
an sql db.

Lars

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