during the Italian meeting Robert had asked for what we would like to have after the release of all promised X# features, and one request was for a DBF Client/Server.
Advantage Database Server seems to be in maintenance mode only, and I was not able to contact the ApolloDB people. Therefore it seems to be space for a new product: a DBF client/server.
In the meantime I have compiled a short wishlist for this:
- installation-free, installable with xcopy
- drop-in replacement for DBFCDX (ADS has some incompatibilities, so the applications need to be adapted)
- server based indexing
- server based filtering
- the possbility to add user defined functions to indexes, providing a X# DLL with them on the server
- a status application that shows open files and connected users, together with an API to be used in client applications
- a different license model: buy once, deploy many for 5/10 user installations, and per-installation base for larger installations
And there are some nice-to-have features, maybe for a later version:
- an SQL interface
- an ADO.NET client for other .NET languages
- crypted communication between server and client
- possibility to run without active share
IMHO such a product is important for at least two reasons:
- to maintain large DBF based VO applications (there are some very big out in world - impossible to migrate to SQL)
- and to have a totally maintenance free database with positional/sequential access like DBFs for small applications in peer-to-peer networks (I have many customers like that with 2-3 PCs)
Wolfgang