Today I’d like to speak to xbase developers like myself. Perhaps I’m biased in my opinion and, before I go on, I must make the disclaimer that our company has partnered with Sybase to distribute ADS.
I always listen to developers talk about their excitement over SQL-lite. I will not argue about the quality nor about the intended use of the product. But speaking from the xbase point of view, I understand that it is a waste of time. If SQL lite is **not** a client-server SQL engine, then what's the advantage over using ADS-Local? With ADS you get SQL syntax without loosing the traditional dbf navigation. You can learn SQL at your own pace while still developing as you always have. Using ADS we were able to distribute the very same app to much larger customers. Two hundred concurrent users is not frightening when using ADS.
With ADS you get triggers, hot-backups, SQL set based transactions, rollbacks, traditional navigation like (cAlias)->(dbskip()), (cAlias)->(dbEval()), and dbgoto(), enhanced field types, field constraints, replication, views, php/perl/java clients, Internet access to your very own dbfs, no need for shares and/or drive mappings from workstations… And all of this with the very same source!!! You can switch from local server to remote server without even a re-compile of the app.
If the xharbour/ xBase++/ Vfp/ Delphi developer is looking for a more stable and expandable data platform, then IMO -ADS is the obvious choice (if even the free local server edition). And I find price for the client-server edition very affordable.
I just can’t hide the fact that I’m totally in love with ADS and must thank Rene Flores as well as others cyber-friends that meet regularly on the xbase news groups for sharing their knowledge and experience with the product.
