FreeTDS Development Group

[James K. Lowden <jklowden AT speakeasy.org>]

> can anyone give me a hint where I can find the "Tabular Data Stream"
> protocol specs?
> 
> I've access to the universal MSDN subscription, but to no avail. 
> Probably I'm looking in the wrong place?

Twan, 

http://www.sybase.com/content/1013412/tds34.pdf

As Brian said, Microsoft does not publish their specification.  As a
matter of fact, they barely admit the existence of the protocol at all.  

Unfortunately, if you go to Sybase's site, no amount of searching will
reveal the above document.  At http://www.sybase.com/developer you can ask
for OpenClient downloads, which will reveal a broken link:
http://crm.sybase.com/sybase/www/ESD/tds_spec_download.jsp (crm.sybase.com
doesn't listen to port 80 even).  

Nevertheless, the document is on the web.  Its location may be obscure,
but from  a legal point of view it's no different from any other
copyrighted work on the www.  

Brian, I found in google's cached pages the EULA you remember.  Very
unwelcoming document.  But the body of the document contains no such
language, leading me to two conclusions:

1.      It's OK to add the link to our site.  If we want to be super hyperlink
hypercautious, we could send mail to their webmaster indicating we've done
so.  

2.      It's OK to read it.  Nothing in copyright law prevents you from 
reading
something and employing your knowledge to any end.  

Copying the document to our server might constitute "publishing" it,
though.  

Regards, 

--jkl