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freetds - Re: [freetds] bulk copy API

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  • From: jklowden AT schemamania.org
  • To: FreeTDS Development Group <freetds AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [freetds] bulk copy API
  • Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 09:46:25 -0400

On Wed, Apr 07, 2010 at 10:31:56AM -0400, mgrosman AT pathcom.com wrote:
> So, if I understand correctly, I'll have to open a separate connection
> via dblib's dbopen() to use bcp API.
>
> Are there any plans to move bcp support to ODBC? Microsoft's 2008 SQL
> Server is the last one which supports dblib connections.

I have an interest in ODBC BCP. More interest than time, though. I'm happy
to apply patches and offer advice....

Don't worry about end-of-life for DB-Library. As far as the server is
concerned, ODBC is practically indistinguishable from db-lib. As an open
source project, we can make sure the bytes arriving at the server are the
same regardless of the API used.

What Microsoft means by "won't be supported" is that they will (may) modify
the server in such a way that NTWDBLIB.DLL -- which they haven't updated
since 2002 or so -- won't work. I expect the next version of the server to
require ANSI_DEFAULTS session properties, or something like that. It could
even be simpler: the login packet has a "client is ODBC" flag. It's set ON
for ODBC connections and OFF (of course) for db-lib. The server could just
refuse connections with it OFF. Cf.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd304019%28PROT.13%29.aspx, the
"fODBC" bit.

File it under "planned obsolescence". They'd do the same thing with the C
standard library if they could. (_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS, anyone?) Ask Joel
about Fire and Motion.

Whatever happens, as long as the server speaks TDS, FreeTDS's db-lib will be
able to adapt. That promise doesn't come from me; it's courtesy of the LGPL
and copyright law.

--jkl




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