Advantage Database

AdvantageDatabase from Extended Systems.

One of very many relatively unpopular / obsolete database engines around.

Pros:

It is able to read and use ExBase databases such as FoxPro and Clipper (ClipperLanguage?) .DBF tables natively
- centralizes locking semantics, file opening, sharing
Claims to be faster than SqlServer etc.
Cheaper than really expensive databases.
Er, that's it

Cons:

If it is faster it is because it doesn't bother using implicit transactions. :(
Personally I have found its limitations frustrating.
Configuration is a bit of a dark art. (For example selects will by default return deleted records as if they still existed, unless configured otherwise.)
Frequent and uninformative error messages.
Basically not as good as a free RealDatabase, like InterBase, MySql or PostgreSql

If you are building on a legacy system where the first pro is important, you might want to use this product. I can't imagine using it otherwise. That's just my experience. What's yours?

Yep. You are right. That´s a piece of crap, especially the PHP Extension and the Data Architect with its mediocre "Native SQL-Tool". The 7.0 is told to be much better, I wish I could believe that. But the legacy software needs it. :( -- Christoph Nelles

Oh, and it turns out that, using the DelphiLanguage client components at least, calls to Query.Prepare and Query.Unprepare do precisely nothing! -- JoeOtten

XBase (dBASE family) never really had ACID transactions. The XBase model is primarily based on NavigationalDatabase techniques with relational influence. Navigational techniques tend to have awkward transaction models.

It is perfectly possible to use xBase formats in a relational manner. Yes, xBase is assuming a navigational database usage, but the awkwardness of providing transaction models has to do with reliably modifying many separate files; navigational databases have had awkward transaction models by accident, not by essence. -- cwillu

Well, let's see. From personal experience converting a Clipper database, I can say that we realized 1) a substantial improvement in speed, 2) a dramatic improvement in stability, 3) enabled use of heterogeneous tools.

Converting this database to one of the SQL platforms had already been tried, at great expense, and the eventual conclusion was that they would never be able to get the feature set and desired performance.

It took me less than two weeks to accomplish the conversion, including code, tables, and indexes, and it ran without breaking for the next two years, when the language was changed to XbasePlusPlus. Last I heard it was still doing fine.

A recent attempt at modeling this application for SQL Server also failed. For what it's worth, this program manages all the "paperwork" for a dozen collection agencies (it eliminates a surprising amount of paper). Several millions of rows of data, hundreds of tables.

This is probably HorsesForCourses, but I've gotta say it scores well above "crap" for a particular enterprise-scale application.

-- GarryHamilton

CategoryDatabase