ODBC Objects for Visual Basic - All versions

Dear VB/Oracle Programmers:

Are you frustrated for the lack of alternatives to develop ultra-fast 16-bit client/server apps?

Would you like to have an RDO alternative for the professional edition of VB4 or VB5? Without the price of Enterprise Edition?

It´s clear that Microsoft does not have a clear direction for data access technologies; The presence of four object models for VB programmers reveals a lack of direction. However, it´s clear ODBC is here to stay, and you need to have total control over this protocol, because it´s critical and strategic to your business.

I have developed a component for VB4/16, VB4/32 and VB5 that provides direct access to the ODBC API without RDO.

For a limited time, the binary version is available as a freeware 32 bit DLL for everyone interested. The component has been tested and used in several large-scale vertical applications.

A commercial version that includes all the source code is available. Supports level 1 and Level 2 drivers, plus transparent portability between 16 and 32 bit environments.

The name of this component is ODBC Objects for VB (ODBC DAO) and Enterprise Edition is not required to use it!

Those interested please contact me:

Martin Cordova
mcordova_at_megaserv.com

I will send you a .ZIP (80K) containing the package + english docs.

Here is a brief description:

ODBC DAO is a very thin layer that encapsulates the complexity and functions of the ODBC API, while providing easy programmatic access and high performance. This component exposes a high level interface based on a few objects, properties and methods. The production of this component has been guided by the principle of design simplicity, excluding all the overhead that is not usually required by the typical large-scale business application. ODBC DAO is not just another low level API wrapper, it could be best described as a conceptual simplification of the ODBC interface, packaged as a reusable component. The ODBC DAO object model is very similar to the well known Jet/DAO, providing a familiar environment for Visual Basic programmers. The component can be completely dominated by a "mere mortal" programmer in just one day.

Sample code:

Global Db As CDatabase ‘<- encapsulates ODBC data source connection

'---open database
Sub Form_Load()

	'---no connection strings!!!
	Set Db = OpenDatabase("myDB", "myUserID", "myPassword")

'---query and navigate recordset
Sub Command1_Click()

        Dim Rs as CRecordset

        Set Rs = Db.OpenRecordset("SELECT * FROM CUSTOMERS")

	While Not Rs.EOF
		List1.AddItem Rs("LAST_NAME")
		Rs.MoveNext
	Wend
	'---no need to close recordset!!!

End Sub

'---execute action query with transaction processing Sub Command2_Click

        Db.BeginTrans

        Db.Execute "DELETE FROM CUSTOMERS WHERE CUST_STATUS = 0"

	If MsgBox("Are you sure?", vbYesNo) = vbNo Then
		Db.Rollback
	Else
		Db.Commit
	End If

End Sub

ODBC Library features:

• Automatic ODBC connection and memory management, there is no need to disconnect or free resources.
• Simplified ODBC error handling integrated with the native Visual Basic Err object.
• Forward only/read only result sets, using block cursors with level 2 drivers, the fastest ODBC method.
• Direct query execution, also known as action queries or SQL passthru.
• Transaction processing.
• Multiple database connections.
• Data retrieval facilities: column data is always returned as VB strings, NULLS are converted to empty strings ("") and ODBC formats are automatically converted to the default international Windows format (useful for numeric and date/time datatypes) for direct use into VB variables and expressions. No more ‘Invalid use of null’.
• Advanced BLOB support to store and retrieve images, documents, binary files, etc.
• Exports result set metadata information, useful for generic subroutine programming.
• Exports the ODBC handles for direct access to the API from client code, for those exceptional cases
• Portable between 16 and 32 bit environments (when used as source code).