- Dalco Technologies
- Kelowna, B.C. CANADA
Hi Everbody,
We have some great news:
On May 1, we released V2.5 of dbOvernet, with a free upgrade to any V2.x owner.
Not just that. As you will see in this letter, we have a lot more exciting information to share with you.
dbOvernet 2.5:
- Internal support for 2 compression models: LZH and ZIP.
- Internal support for 7 encryption models, including the 5 major LockBox models.
- Re-optimization of send functions, approx. 15% performance increase.
- Dozens of minor changes in code, improved messaging, updated param passing and optimization. Thanks to all our developer friends for their help and tips.
- Addition of properties to TdbOClientDataset:
- EncryptMethod
- CompressMethod
- GetRecordCount (raised to top level)
- Addition of properties/events to sub components:
- OnReportProgress (display progress info, bars, etc.)
- TriggerReportProgress (track inbound packets)
- Compatibility with next generation Delphi.
- Some new examples; Lockbox, In-code updating
- Additional field types (ftWidestring, ftFixedChar, ftGuid)
- Improved BLOB handling and throughout.
- Updated thread handling techniques in server apps.
- Improved handling of UserParams.
- Cross-compatibility with other Dalco products: PocketPC, Linux and dbBridge.
- Improved cloaking throughput.
- Enhanced dbOStandardRequests.PAS.
And some bigger news: What's been happening?
Why haven't we had a major upgrade to dbOvernet for over a year?
It's because we've been building a complete set of remote-enabling solutions. During May. we plan to release the newest versions of our other products:
- dbBridge for Windows, Client and Server editions (http://www.dbbridge.com)
- dbBridgeCE for PocketPC, Client edition
- Linux Server edition
For some preliminary views and information, double-click on any of the below URLs:
http://www.dbbridge.com
http://www.dbbridge.com/dbbridgehome.htm
http://www.dbbridge.com/dbbproductsuser.htm
http://www.dbbridge.com/dbbnew.htm
http://www.dbbridge.com/dbbridge/dbbpocketpcmain.htm
and review the various screen shots at:
http://www.dbbridge.com/dbbPocketPC/dbbppc_adconnect/ppcconnect1.htm
http://www.dbbridge.com/dbbPocketPC/dbbppc_adquery/ppcquery1.htm
http://www.dbbridge.com/dbbPocketPC/dbbppc_adform/ppcform1.htm
Have a look at our architecture pages:
With our product line, you can connect clients to Windows or Linux App Servers, and your clients can be running any Windows version as well as WinCE and PocketPC (other O/Ss on the way).
And your client applications can be written in any language: Delphi, CBuilder, Visual Basic, C++, MS Access, PowerBuilder and others.
Delphi and CBuilder developers get twice the functionaliity.
Use our powerful dbOvernet VCL components to get complete 3-tier functionality, plus source access and great performance. dbOvernet runs closer to the bone than dbBridge, gives you a bit more flexibility and lets you tweak your methods to optimize performance and functionality.
Our open architecture allows you to do virtually anything you want, in true multi-tier fashion.
For a real treat, create 3-tier apps out of 2-tier client/server apps in an instant, using dbBridge. Whether you want to quickly prototype a proposed solution, or build it permanently, dbBridge is the perfect tool.
Use dbBridge and the VCL components you are familiar with (like TQuery) to instantly build 3-tier, over-the-Internet solutions.
Or use both.... our product line is very flexible and extensible.
And, as a side benefit, provide your customers with the incredible functionality of dbBridge to remote-enable popular desktop applications....
This is, without doubt, the most versatile set of solutions for accessing databases and data sources, executing middle tier methods and connecting clients and servers over the Internet (or any TCP/IP environment) available anywhere.
And when we expose our new pricing, it's going to make our line the most appealing anywhere.
Through building these additional products, we've improved our dbOvernet fundamentals, and continued to prove its value as an open-architecture solution. The dbOvernet architecture is basic to all our products.
Free goodies
Several goodies will join the list:
- Free PocketPC Connector, Query Builder and Form Generator products (including source code),
- Free dbBridge Client and Server Method ActiveX controls,
- Free Remote File Access and Transfer utility.
PocketPC
The PocketPC is simply an amazing product. (For that matter, so is the Palm, but it's next...)
With our dbBridgeCE PocketPC solutions, a Delphi developer can easily develop PocketPC solutions using our guidelines and templates.
Sure, we know you write in Delphi or CBuilder, but you just might want to look at PocketPC as an additional tool for remoting your applications. Even if you want to farm out your PocketPC work, the dbBridgeCE APIs let you build PocketPC solutions that are consistent with your larger Delphi and CBuilder solutions.
With dbBridgeCE, combined with current wireless solutions, you can provide a solution right now to your company's or customers' needs. Our throughput is amazing on these devices, and application building is very simple.
Our examples are very thorough and cover most of what you would need to know. You can knock off some terrific PocketPC apps in a few hours.
The development tools, eVB and eVC++ are free from Microsoft (you can download them or order them on CD) and they are very strong products. You don't have to have a PocketPC device - their emulator is perfect and runs on Win2K and up.
Our PocketPC connectivity is completely compliant with our dbBridge/dbOvernet socket structures, so no changes need to be made to have both remote PCs and laptops, and PocketPCs accessing our Windows- or Linux-based application servers.
You can imagine how powerful it is to be able to supplement your dbOvernet remote applications with mini versions running on PocketPC... We've been accessing all kinds of databases: Goldmine, Pivotal, and, of course, any database connected through our dbO app servers.
Method controls
Our dbBridge Client and Server Method ActiveX controls let you use any programming language, development tool or productivity application that supports ActiveX to create a 3-tier solution enabling you to create and call any type of method in and from the middle tier.
RFA - Remote File Access/ P2P, Remote to Host....
Our Remote File Access utility lets you be anywhere in the world, and connect to any other computer and transfer files back and forth. This is an ideal solution for Peer to Peer, Peer to Server to Peer, Remote PC to Home PC, Remote PC to main server, and others.
Over the past year, we have been working diligently to complete the development of our dbBridge and PocketPC versions, along with our Linux server versions for dbOvernet and dbBridge.
As is our policy, we don't release until the product is ready. These products are ready, and we think they will change the way you develop applications.
Linux
For Linux, we have worked closely with the Kylix development team and have developed a solid, high-performance Linux server. The source code for this product will not be available publicly, for competitive reasons. The various units that make up the framework are available as DCUs.
The entire framework enables the addition of any methods required, consistent with our current Win-based implementations.
Although we haven't used the same receiving/transmitting architecture, we have maintained the ServerObject class. In fact, dbOStandardRequests.PAS compiles without change under Linux.
We have built an early client version, but we don't feel the market is there yet for client applications, and we don't expect to see a significant market opportunity for a couple of quarters yet.
We concentrated on a Linux server version, since that's where the power of Linux currently is, and our implementation is fully-threaded and quite efficient.
Consistent framework
Over the past year or so, our time has been spent building a consistent framework for our product line, so that they all work together effectively. We wanted a strong foundation so that we can readily build additional solutions.
The PocketPC API is a good example. Instead of building specifically for the platform, we wrote a C++ API, then modified it for PocketPC. We think this will optimize portability across other platforms, like Unix, Java, Palm and other O/Ss.
Our API is object-based and includes both a connection and recordset object. This enables you to create connection objects that connect and fetch/send data, method request, files, etc. and also to create recordset objects that use an in-memory table as your recordset, complete with all the methods: full navigation, insert, update, append, delete and so on. Of course, we also fully support the ADO model, so you have your choice when you develop for PocketPC or WinCE.
What we are trying to do is ensure each product will have consistent function calls, and will support specific built-ins, like encryption, compression (subject to the O/S itself and the availability of models) and HTTP cloaking, with all clients using the same structure for server access and response processing.
Enticing pricing model
During May, we will release all the products, and we will have some exciting pricing and licensing news. I think you are all going to be pleased with our radical pricing approach.
Our approach will encourage you to take advantage of the strong cross-development, cross-platform and cross-application functionality of our product line.
We've examined the pricing of all the software vendors who work in our market, from narrow, specific vendors offering solutions in the WinCE environment, to vendors who have broader-based solutions.
We think they are all way too expensive....far more expensive than we want to be.
When we brought dbO to market in 1998, we priced our entry level products at about $250. Ultimately, that forced competitors, including MIDAS from Borland, to meet our pricing model.
Various vendors in this field are moving the price bar up...way up. Narrow-focus vendors like Sybase and Odyssey are very expensive, for product that doesn't come close to us in functionality.
We've always thrived at our levels and, when we release all of our planned May products, we will force the price bar down....way down.
Our whole pricing structure will change - to your advantage.
Java
We know there are developers interested in Java. Just to let you know: we have also developed dbBridge for Java, a full client and server product now running in a couple of the largest utility companies in the U.S.
Unfortunately, we've had to set priorities, and our Java line is not currently in the radar for commercial release. To bring our dbBridge Java line to market will require us to move resources away from other developments.
However, we will work with specific developers who want to do specific Java implementations. We will supply the code under agreements, and discount the licensing costs, in exchange for code changes and improvements. That way, we both get what we need.
Fred Dalgleish, C.A., MBA, CEO
Dalco Technologies