Buggy ODBC driver?

From: Jim Mercanti <James.Mercanti-1_at_kmail.ksc.nasa.gov>
Date: Fri, 05 Feb 1999 14:48:12 -0500
Message-ID: <36BB4AFC.790@kmail.ksc.nasa.gov>

I believe that there are client/server related issues (bugs) with Oracle Rdb ODBC driver (versions 11 thru 16).

   I am asking those familiar with ODBC to check your machines to prove it's not machine-specific. Thanks. JIM

1 - RECORDSET FIELD PROPERTIES
   In attempts to create true c/s screens, I try to read the properties of recordset fields. The Recordset.Fields(Index).Size property is correct, but the .Required (NOT NULL), and .AllowZeroLength properties do not get passed thru to the client via ODBC from Rdb. (I didn’t even make an attempt to read the foreign keys to make a LOV combobox, seeing this simple task failed.)

Q: Why is the Recordset.Fields(Index).Required property not being passed thru ODBC?
Q: Why is the Recordset.Fields(Index).AllowZeroLength property not being passed thru ODBC?
Q: Do I need to use the properties of the TableDef object instead?

2 - RECORDSET ATTRIBUTE
   Mark Murphy (former LAPS developer) had determined that appending a recordset to the Recordset collection left it potentially vulnerable to possible rogue applets running in the background looking for a recordset to corrupt. Leaving the recordset NOT appended to the collection makes it secure. He had designed the Database Class object used today in LAPS.
   Another benefit was dynamically changing certain field attributes on-the-fly. Rdb ODBC connections do not allow for these changes which appears to mimic the behavour of a recordset that IS appended to the recordset collection.

Q: Why are the properties read only? Is it related to issue 1?

The following is the table scripts from PDMS02. it shows the NOT_NULL Constraint on the second column. But this does not show up in the recordset properties as shown within the applet ODBCbug.exe

SQL> sho tab abbrv_acro
Information for table ABBRV_ACRO

Columns for table ABBRV_ACRO:

Column Name                     Data Type        Domain
-----------                     ---------        ------
ABBREV_CD                       CHAR(10)         ABBREV_CD_DOM
ABBREV_CD_DES                   CHAR(60)         DES60_DOM
 Not Null constraint LAPS_DES_NOT_NULL
LOC_IND                         CHAR(1)          IND_DOM

Table constraints for ABBRV_ACRO:
G_ABBRV_PK
 Primary Key constraint
 Table constraint for ABBRV_ACRO
 Evaluated on UPDATE, NOT DEFERRABLE
 Source:

        PRIMARY key (ABBREV_CD)

LAPS_DES_NOT_NULL
 Not Null constraint
 Column constraint for ABBRV_ACRO.ABBREV_CD_DES  Evaluated on COMMIT
 Source:

        ABBRV_ACRO.ABBREV_CD_DES NOT null

Constraints referencing table ABBRV_ACRO: No constraints found

Indexes on table ABBRV_ACRO:

ABBRV_U1                        with column ABBREV_CD

  No Duplicates allowed
  Type is Sorted
  Compression is DISABLED

Store clause:           STORE in
                        LAPS_IN02_SEQ02

Storage Map for table ABBRV_ACRO:
     ABBRV_ACRO_MAP

Triggers on table ABBRV_ACRO:
No triggers found

SQL> Thanks again,
JIM Received on Fri Feb 05 1999 - 13:48:12 CST