Flash Filer

[teos]

Hi teo,

Noticed you've been inundating the db section with news of your indy-based new efforts

Firebird is OK but how about a client-server with Firebird server with other databases on the same server or how about user/password management?

I look forward to the conversion of either FlashFiler or FFSQL to Lazarus so not only the client is at my control but also the server is.

Having a completely pascal SQL-capable client/server database system would be kind of cool, yes. The questions is, would average users see benefits over existing solutions (sqlite, Firebird embedded, Firebird and other client/server)? I wonder.
But enthousiasts writing their own solution can be a powerful force

If you are going to do something like that, perhaps starting with the tdbf components (advantage: standard though old format, so interoperable with other tools) or tatamata's zmsql might me nice...

I don't look at developers as standard users. Firebird Embedded you say does not run on Linux. The others need a DLL of some kind. And I suppose Firebird or another server running a database will provide security issues.

Take a look at DBISAM VCL on Windows/Delphi or ElevateDB, FlashFiler, Nexus and get the idea.

O and I forget: Firebird as mentioned before is running on Windows..

As mentioned before? By whom? Where? I don't get what you mean.
Firebird can run on Windows, Linux, OSX, Solaris,....
[/quote] I just read somewhere that Embedding Firebird has it's issues. And Embedded Firebird still requires a library/dll to run..

Strange that in these discussions about Flash Filer allways the Sr. Members suggest Firebird and even crappy workarounds like an emulator. ;-D

I think that is because Firebird just works very well, can switch from embedded to client/server without recompile, has user management built in (IIRC since 2.5 quite complete using SQL statements).
Ludob wrote a services API wrapper that lets you easily do backup/restore etc. This is available in recent FPC/Lazarus (also with examples).

Why reinvent the wheel?

It is not about inventing the weel, more about stopping with work arounds.

Client/server with Firebird and other database servers? 2 phase commit and stuff? Well if you need things like that, obviously you'd have to code for it. But isn't flash filer some kind of file-based db? Bit strange to go from that to multiple dbs?

Oh, and if you don't like Firebird, use PostgreSQL. Or TDBF. Or sqlite3. Or Oracle. Or MS SQL Server. Or another ODBC-accessible database. Or even mysql...

No. 1 commit. Updates are sent as SQL statements.

TDBF is on my radar for a long time. But I miss SQL there. The problem is that TDBF alike approach is not recommended by the ones using query components. Alltough TDBF works as database support is ment to be (at least in Delphi)

[teos]

I'm very interested in code from your attempts.

Sorry, I don't have it anymore, it was long time ago.
And in menatime, I rather made my own "database" - zmsql , as you already know
http://sourceforge.net/projects/lazarus-ccr/files/zmsql/
http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/ZMSQL

Yes I know. Spent a few sundays on JanSQL myself. I have the components in my CodeTyphon IDE. And very interested in native Delphi client-server databases as you may have noticed

[BigChimp]

Hi teoniewlande,

I don't look at developers as standard users. Firebird Embedded you say does not run on Linux. The others need a DLL of some kind. And I suppose Firebird or another server running a database will provide security issues.

No, I said it *does* run on Linux. Don't understand where you got that from.

Agreed about security issues, but any kind of software provides security issues. Also your own.
Furthermore, security is always a tradeoff.
Finally, as embedded db dlls run in the application process, I don't see that much security issues for them.

O and I forget: Firebird as mentioned before is running on Windows..

As mentioned before? By whom? Where? I don't get what you mean.
Firebird can run on Windows, Linux, OSX, Solaris,....

I just read somewhere that Embedding Firebird has it's issues. And Embedded Firebird still requires a library/dll to run..
[/quote]
I read and confirmed it works on x86 windows. And have tested it - on win32 and win64.

But you're right if you're referring to this problem: x64 FPC has problems with embedded x64 Firebird (as well as probably all other embedded dlls) due to the way x64 FPC mishandles exceptions... in all dlls, so it's not just an embedde database problem.
See e.g. this bug http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=21581 and
http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=17360
Code to fix this has not yet been committed to trunk.

I think that is because Firebird just works very well, can switch from embedded to client/server without recompile, has user management built in (IIRC since 2.5 quite complete using SQL statements).
Ludob wrote a services API wrapper that lets you easily do backup/restore etc. This is available in recent FPC/Lazarus (also with examples).

Why reinvent the wheel?

It is not about inventing the weel, more about stopping with work arounds.

Well, one man's workaround is another man's reliable, enterprise class database. But as I said, to each his own. There are people who are writing their own web servers in FPC. More power to them.

Client/server with Firebird and other database servers? 2 phase commit and stuff? Well if you need things like that, obviously you'd have to code for it. But isn't flash filer some kind of file-based db? Bit strange to go from that to multiple dbs?

Oh, and if you don't like Firebird, use PostgreSQL. Or TDBF. Or sqlite3. Or Oracle. Or MS SQL Server. Or another ODBC-accessible database. Or even mysql...

No. 1 commit. Updates are sent as SQL statements.

Sorry, I thought this:

how about a client-server with Firebird server with other databases on the same server

meant you were talking about sending statements that make up one logical transaction to multiple databases. I must have misunderstood.

TDBF is on my radar for a long time. But I miss SQL there.

So... build in SQL support?! Tatamata did it with his zmsql...

The problem is that TDBF alike approach is not recommended by the ones using query components..

Don't quite understand this one. You do know fpc/Lazarus sqldb already supports TDBF so you can have datagrids etc coupled to the dbf?

Regards,
BigChimp

[TurboRascal]

Firebird Embedded you say does not run on Linux.

No, I said it *does* run on Linux. Don't understand where you got that from.

Wait a minute, the last I remember is that fb-embedded (at least properly) works only on windows... Has someone in the meantime made it work normally on linux too?

[teos]

Hi teoniewlande,

I don't look at developers as standard users. Firebird Embedded you say does not run on Linux. The others need a DLL of some kind. And I suppose Firebird or another server running a database will provide security issues.

No, I said it *does* run on Linux. Don't understand where you got that from.

Agreed about security issues, but any kind of software provides security issues. Also your own.
Furthermore, security is always a tradeoff.
Finally, as embedded db dlls run in the application process, I don't see that much security issues for them.

O and I forget: Firebird as mentioned before is running on Windows..

As mentioned before? By whom? Where? I don't get what you mean.
Firebird can run on Windows, Linux, OSX, Solaris,....

I just read somewhere that Embedding Firebird has it's issues. And Embedded Firebird still requires a library/dll to run..

I read and confirmed it works on x86 windows. And have tested it - on win32 and win64.

But you're right if you're referring to this problem: x64 FPC has problems with embedded x64 Firebird (as well as probably all other embedded dlls) due to the way x64 FPC mishandles exceptions... in all dlls, so it's not just an embedde database problem.
See e.g. this bug http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=21581 and
http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=17360
Code to fix this has not yet been committed to trunk.

I think that the whole Freepascal community would benefit from a database of which client and sever run on all OS-es that Lazarus/Freepascal support. I'm not too well aware of how database approach works in Lazarus but I assume that the database components in Lazarus all need a dll to connect to the server. The approach that I talk about is native, so no external files required except maybe a database file.

By security I mean a database server somewhere on which a database allready is installed and we need to add a database to that installation. That means sharing administrator passwords for maintenance..

I have chosen SQLite as backend because I expect to compile the database engine in my server. But at the moment I'm not sure if Lazarus supports this. And have no Linux box to test how to connect to sqllite on Linux.

I think that is because Firebird just works very well, can switch from embedded to client/server without recompile, has user management built in (IIRC since 2.5 quite complete using SQL statements).
Ludob wrote a services API wrapper that lets you easily do backup/restore etc. This is available in recent FPC/Lazarus (also with examples).

Why reinvent the wheel?

It is not about inventing the weel, more about stopping with work arounds.

Well, one man's workaround is another man's reliable, enterprise class database. But as I said, to each his own. There are people who are writing their own web servers in FPC. More power to them.

That is why I choose an existing database. Don't need all the work to handle data corruption etc.

Client/server with Firebird and other database servers? 2 phase commit and stuff? Well if you need things like that, obviously you'd have to code for it. But isn't flash filer some kind of file-based db? Bit strange to go from that to multiple dbs?

Oh, and if you don't like Firebird, use PostgreSQL. Or TDBF. Or sqlite3. Or Oracle. Or MS SQL Server. Or another ODBC-accessible database. Or even mysql...

No. 1 commit. Updates are sent as SQL statements.

Sorry, I thought this:

how about a client-server with Firebird server with other databases on the same server

meant you were talking about sending statements that make up one logical transaction to multiple databases. I must have misunderstood.

Maybe not. Transactional updates are quite possible.

TDBF is on my radar for a long time. But I miss SQL there.

So... build in SQL support?! Tatamata did it with his zmsql...

Maybe I will. Or test if TXQuery (formerly commercial, now open source) compiles on Lazarus. I think a database component without SQL will not be widely accepted, even if one can do perfectly without.

The problem is that TDBF alike approach is not recommended by the ones using query components..

Don't quite understand this one. You do know fpc/Lazarus sqldb already supports TDBF so you can have datagrids etc coupled to the dbf?
[/quote]
I will look at SQLDB than.

If I find a n-tier set of components or code that actually works and can be installed both on Lazarus and Delphi, I'm in for all solutions. Haven't found a project which actually compiles on Lazarus though.

[TurboRascal]

To me it seems that the best candidate to create a small server is sqlite; it's already most crossplatform of all the stuff I know. Something on top of that which would provide network access together with some data brokering and user authentication stuff might be great...

[teos]

Very off-topic but I found this post about compiling Firebird Embedded right into your exe. So maybe work on Linux after all..

http://mailer.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,4159.msg19455.html#msg19455

[TurboRascal]

Very off-topic but I found this post about compiling Firebird Embedded right into your exe. So maybe work on Linux after all..

http://mailer.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,4159.msg19455.html#msg19455

Nobody mentioned fb-embedded works on linux in the thread you posted...

[BigChimp]

@Arny: for what I gathered about Firebird embedded on various platforms: see this wiki article http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Firebird_embedded

@Teo: it would be nice to see a native ObjectPascal database solution that supports SQL (locally or via the network), user management, backup/restore etc.

[TurboRascal]

@Arny: for what I gathered about Firebird embedded on various platforms: see this wiki article http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Firebird_embedded

That's a great improvement, I'm glad to see it advanced so much!

@Teo: it would be nice to see a native ObjectPascal database solution that supports SQL (locally or via the network), user management, backup/restore etc.

True true... Sometimes one can even get nostalgic for the (bad) old BDE

[geordie]

I am looking for somebody to assist me in reading FlashFiler .dat files.  I have installed the NexusDB FlashFiler ODBC, but it asks for database and such, but I only have files.  Assistance would be appercisted.

[Graeme]

Wait a minute, the last I remember is that fb-embedded (at least properly) works only on windows... Has someone in the meantime made it work normally on linux too?

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I would give update information. Firebird Embedded works perfectly (and personally tested) on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and OSX. Both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms.

[zeljko]

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I would give update information. Firebird Embedded works perfectly (and personally tested) on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and OSX. Both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms.

Any link or wiki about setting up embedded firebird on those platforms ?

[Graeme]

Hi Zelko,

For Windows I used some instructions on the net (I think the FPC Wiki). For Linux and FreeBSD I followed the Windows instructions, but adapted it for Linux - some minor trial and error and I got it working.

For OSX, that was a huge pain! I really don't like "app bundles". I followed these instructions and added lots of my own fiddling around:
  http://paulbeachsblog.blogspot.fr/2008/03/where-is-libfbclientdylib-on-macosx.html

Regards,
  G.