FreeTDS Development Group

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

Federico Alves wrote:
> I open a ticket with DBD-Sybase and the author Michel Peppler thinks
> there is an issue
> with freetds, not with DBD-Sybase.
> <URL: http://rt.cpan.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=34411 >
> 
> On Mon Mar 24 20:19:06 2008, falves1 wrote:
> > I compiled DBD-Sybase 1.08 using DBI 1.604, and the perl Makefile.PL 
> > works fine, but then when I do a make I get this
> > Sybase.xsi:275: error: invalid lvalue in assignment
> > Sybase.xsi: In function âXS_DBD__Sybase__db_DESTROYâ:
> > Sybase.xsi:334: error: invalid lvalue in assignment
> > make: *** [Sybase.o] Error 1
> 
> This is a problem with FreeTDS.
> 
> The issue is that FreeTDS defines CS_UINT_TYPE, but not CS_BIGINT_TYPE,
> and Sybase never defines one without the other.

I'm not convinced this is a "problem" with FreeTDS, and I'm not sure how
to fix it.  

FreeTDS doesn't guarantee line-by-line compatibility with Sybase's header
files.  The project's header files describe the functions, structures, and
datatypes implemented by the library.  If CS_UINT_TYPE but not
CS_BIGINT_TYPE is supported/used/implemented by the library, then only
CS_UINT_TYPE *should* appear in the header file.  Anything else would
mislead the developer: the translation unit might compile but fail to
link, or link and not work.  

Michael, AIUI DBD::Sybase assumes CS_BIGINT_TYPE upon testing for
CS_UINT_TYPE.  Wouldn't it be better to test for CS_BIGINT_TYPE directly? 


I'm always eager to make sure FreeTDS supports DBD::Sybase to the extent
possible, allowing for deficiencies in the implementation.  But adding
something to the header file not implemented by the library could
adversely affect other users.  

--jkl