Posted by Stephen Howe on 09/03/07 20:19

> "They are all interfaces on the same set of database technology - which
> does
> not change." No, they are not. Database engines change, OLE
> implementations
> change. Microsoft has not only presented us with the programming data
> access, they have also made amazing changes and improvements all down the
> line and back again.

They do not change.
Yes, database engines do change, there are improvements.
There are improvements to drivers. I dont disagree.
But the access methods have not changed.

We still have
Rowsets and Cursors
Stored Procedures
Input/Output parameters

Has that access method list got longer or changed in nature? No!
So why keep reinventing yet another interface to exactly the same set of
methods?
How many different ways can you call a Stored Procedure?

> Also Microsoft (who was talking to IBM in those days <g>) was the primary
> sponsor and the major reason ODBC was adopted. ODBC took us out of the
> dark
> ages of when every datasource, vendor, and language platform, had its own
> access "libraries". I don't think MS gets nearly the credit it deserves.
> Doesn't anyone remember the nightmare it used to be?

Yes it is a good thing.
A universal method of access.
Insulate programmers from the specifics of each database source - which can
vary in detail.

[snip rest]

- Yes I guess I mostly agree with you. But I am weary.

Thanks for the comments

Stephen Howe

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