FreeTDS Development Group

[Brian Bruns <camber AT umcc.ais.org>]

On Tue, 29 Dec 1998, James Cameron wrote:

> G'day FreeTDS Development Group,
> 
> I've been lurking on this distribution list for a couple of weeks,
> hoping to find an answer to this esoteric question ...
> 
>       Is this what I need for this hack I'm about to embark on?
> 
> We have a bunch of UNIX and OpenVMS hackers in a department that is
> about to adopt a new call handling application based on Microsoft SQL
> Server.  These hackers know next to nothing about the intricacies of the
> Wintel platforms.  But we want to interface to this call handling
> database server for our own purposes.
> 
> What I think I need is a way to fetch data from that database within C
> code running on a Linux box, which then provides the information using
> more public protocols such as HTTP, FTP, and IRC.
>
This is exactly what FreeTDS will provide.  In the simplest terms FreeTDS
is a C library that allows your program to talk to a dataserver (ie MS-SQL
Server).  It handles pushing it down the wire and back.  You may also look
at Sybase's OpenClient for Linux (don't have the url handy). It works
only on x86 however, and wouldn't do any good on a DEC platform. (And
besides it's closed source!).  It will talk to MS-SQL Server
(since MS-SQL Server was based on Sybase 4.2) however, certain newer
datatypes may not work with it though.
 
> It seems FreeTDS can provide this, but I'm unsure.  The FreeTDS FAQ uses
> a large number of acronyms that I do not yet recognise ... it
> presupposes that you know what you are looking for.
> 
If there are any acronyms I can explain, let me know...I'm getting ready
to do some work on the FAQ.

> Is FreeTDS what I need?
>
It sounds like it. 
> [I've yet to resolve my difficulty installing the package, hopefully
> there is some example code that will help me.]
> 
> -- 
> James Cameron                                      (cameron AT stl.dec.com)
> 
> OpenVMS, Linux, Firewalls, Software Engineering, CGI, HTTP, X, C, FORTH,
> COBOL, BASIC, DCL, csh, bash, ksh, sh, Electronics, Microcontrollers,
> Disability Engineering, Netrek, Bicycles, Pedant, Farming, Home Control,
> Remote Area Power, Greek Scholar, Tenor Vocalist, Church Sound, Husband.
> 
> "Specialisation is for insects." -- Robert Heinlein.
> 

Cheers,

Brian