Bulldog ODBC for filePro

[Jay R. Ashworth]

On Wed, Mar 09, 2005 at 01:00:31AM -0500, ryanx at indy.rr.com wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 08, 2005 at 11:53:52PM -0500, Jay R. Ashworth said:
> > What we've been asking for for ages is an ODBC server (why can't
> > *anyone* just *call* them clients and servers, so we don't have to
> > guess?) implementation that will let live clients talk to active
> > filePro data file sets.  
> 
> Well, thats true, Jay. A full-fledged ODBC 3.51 conformant server it
> is not, and I think the price reflects that. But that is not to say
> that it will not evolve into one through future development. 

As may be.  My precise point was that, given the heat this topic has
engendered on this list wherein you announced it, perhaps a bit more
context would have been a good thing?

Ok: maybe I'm really the *only* person reading here who thought that,
or indeed, gives a crap.

But maybe not.

> And it is neither a client nor server. I think the correct term would
> be "ODBC bridge".

Something which allows programs to access an ODBC compliant datastore
is a client.  Something which exposes data in a data store to an ODBC
compliant client is server-side.  You need both; it matters what you
call it.

> > You didn't read my other reply, I think.  As near as I can determine,
> > "this going over well" is defined as "letting a whole bunch of filePro
> > sites pull their data out and move it over to 'something easier to use'".
> 
> How about move it over to something where it can be seen?

Yep; that sounds like agreement with what I'm asserting.

The PHP filepro module, for example, already exposes filePro data so it
can be seen.  The issue has always been *allowing other non-filePro
front-end code to _modify live data_*.

>                                                             Building a
> bridge between filePro and Access (initiated by Access) is the
> purpose. Its a tool, not a call for a mass exodus. Just the other day
> Jose was inquiring about getting filePro data into MySQL. With my
> product he can do this in two steps: import into Access, then export
> via MyODBC.

I understand that it is not a *call* for a mass exodus.  I hope
(possibly in vain) that I've been clear about not characterizing it as
that.  My *point* was that it is certainly a *tool* which would make
such an exoduse substantially easier -- and Pointy Haired Bosses don't
care why you wrote it.

> Certainly there are many different ways to get filePro data out onto
> the internet or whatnot. This is just makes it easier. But that does
> not in itself render filePro obsolete.

Nope.

> What is harming filePro more than anything is the lack of tools to
> make it easier to work with.

What is harming filePro more than anything is the lack of glue to allow
sites to leave their data and primary app interface in it -- for which
is it well suited -- and *additionally* add on other interfaces for
specific purposes without *extensive* glue code having to be written by
hand.

Viz OneGate, which Mark mentioned.  I've looked at it, and it's nice
and tight, but it's still not all that small, from what I gather (I've
not looked at the actual code), and there's *still* a
fairly-non-filePro'ishness to it that makes the learning curve... well,
let's just say that *I* would have had to be fairly motivated.

No offense, Mark.

> > And, as I say: I don't see anything that explains how Ryan views his
> > roadmap for the product.  He may well plan to make it into a full
> > server-side implementation.  But I can't tell.  Do you really think it
> > wouldn't have been a good idea to put that in the posting here, even if
> 
> Its all tentative. If there is enough interest, there will be further
> development.

Ok; time for me to check out now.  Everyone is taking massive offense
to the things which were *not* the point I was trying to make, and no
one seems to think the point I *was* trying to make is very important.

Y'all have fun; I'm going back to my other 15 mailing lists.

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                                                jra at baylink.com
Designer                          Baylink                             RFC 2100
Ashworth & Associates        The Things I Think                        '87 e24
St Petersburg FL USA      http://baylink.pitas.com             +1 727 647 1274

      If you can read this... thank a system adminstrator.  Or two.  --me