FreeTDS Development Group

["James K. Lowden" <jklowden AT freetds.org>]

Would you like to do something vital for FreeTDS?  Can you put a modern
Sybase server online for use by the FreeTDS developers?  

It would be a great boon to the project.  You can choose to be anonymous
if you prefer.  You can also restrict access by IP address if security is
a concern.  

One of the challenges to this project is having servers to test with.  For
several years, two very helpful people have made servers -- one Microsoft,
one Sybase -- available over the Internet to FreeTDS developers.  We're
very grateful to those people.  FreeTDS simply could not have progressed
as it has without their support.  

The Microsoft SQL Server 2000 server continues to be available, but the
Sybase server is 11.5 and is not due to be upgraded.  In fact, its host
would prefer to take it offline.  That is, we're limping along with an
out-of-date Sybase server whose days are numbered.  

One consequence of not having the latest version of the server available
is that new features don't get implemented.  (This is also a growing
problem on the Microsoft side.)  To cite just one example, see Frediano's
message earlier today.  Microsoft and Sybase decided to use the same token
to mean two different things.  We developed code for Microsoft's
implementation, and now realize we have to separate the token meanings by
TDS version.  (That probably would have been a good idea in the first
place, but don't say anything.)  Access to the latest Sybase server would
have alerted us to the conflict sooner.  Access to it now is vital:
without it, we cannot develop code for it.  We can only warn people away
from certain features, hardly the sort of lofty goal we set for ourselves.
 

If you're in a position to do so, please consider making a Sybase System
15 server available to the project.  It's very important.  If you're a
Microsoft shop, a 2005 server would be helpful too, especially if you'd
like to see more 2005 features implemented.  

If you want your name in lights, post a message here.  If you want to do
it on the QT, drop me a line offlist.  You know where to find me.  

Thank you for your time and consideration.  We now return you to your
irregularly scheduled programming.  

--jkl