Subject: [Firebird-net-provider] Questions about the .NET Data provider

[Jason V. <jas...@ya...>]

Response to "are you using .Net Provider" and such...

I'm just now beginning to "test" the waters with it.
 
I'm developing an app in C++, and was intending to use
Ado (not the .NET version), because the target was not
to be a "managed" program, but an "unmanaged" program
(and I had considered the free MSDE SQL engine from
MS). However, in case of larger database requirements,
I wanted to avoid the $1500 charge for MSSQL's "full"
version (small package), so Firebird seemed really
attractive (and so did MySQL).

However, I never could get any of the ODBC or OLE DB
drivers for Firebird to work, except for the one
"sanctioned" by Borland from Easysoft. That worked,
but then I saw .Net provider, and reconsidered (for
perhaps time 4) what connection methods I should use.

So I loaded the .NET provider, and found one of the
sample apps in MSDN for MSSQL's own provider, and
tried that - it worked with MSSQL just fine, so I
decided to add in the "#using
"FirebirdSql.Data.Firebird.dll" " and switch all of
the Sqlxxx to Fbxxx, and found only one small point to
be changed; the example didn't require a transaction
object prior to the "ExecuteReader" call, but other
than that, the Firebird provider worked fine.

The only thing I noticed, outside of a requirement for
the transaction which I'm not sure I understand well
enough to even object, or just use, is the absence of
support for the DataSet object. That would allow use
of all the other "goodies" in ADO.NET that depend upon
DataSet (and perhaps, too, DataTable).

Frankly, though, I'm just fine without it, because I
have my own data management features that perform the
functions typical of DataSet, and I'll abstract from
there toward my application code.

I'm a few months away from completing my own
application, and I'm continuing to evaluate just what
providers or connection methods are best for me to
use, but this .NET data provider has, in just my test
evaluations, done what I need it to do. 

As I get closer to my target release, let me ask, in
what way may I return the favor - such as a
contribution to your cause. I don't see that a license
is required to use or include the .Net provider in my
distribution (unless I'm mistaken), but if I'm going
to benefit from it's use, it's only good business to
support it's development.





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