New IBProvider 3.0.0.9496 RC4 release appeared. At current moment we implementing updatable rowsets functionality in third version of IBProvider.

In this release parser of query parameters and COM-objects locking were improved.

SQL-parser of IBProvider v3 was improved

• Support of end symbol ";" in sql-queries
• IBProvider raise error if many sql-queries appeared in one command text
• IBProvider raise error if empty query appeared in one command text. For example: "select * from RDB$DATABASE;/*empty stmt*/;"
• Following queries now supported by IBProvider core:
  • "GRANT ...
  • "REVOKE ..."
  • "SET GENERATOR ..."
  • "SET STATISTICS ..."

New rowset properties was added in IBProvider v3

• IBP_RS_INFO: Result Storage Size
• IBP_RS_INFO: Using File Storage

SQLSTATE and NativeError now supported (v3)

• When IBProvider handle Firebird/Interbase server errors it create special object CustomErrorObject, which contains 2 parameters: SQLSTATE (5-symbols string with standart error code) and NativeError (ISC Error Code).
• This feature allows get custom error info for any(!) Firebird, Interbase or Yaffil server and didn't depends on a client library
• New algorithm for SQLSTATE is based on Firebird 2.5 code.
• IBProvider supports isc_arg_sqlstate - new tag of Firebird 2.5 status vector.

If you are using ADODB for access to Firebird or Interbase, you can get SQLSTATE and NativeError via Errors object of ADODB.Connection:

• ADODB.Connection->Errors->Error->SQLState
• ADODB.Connection->Errors->Error->NativeError

For example:

 option explicit dim cn set cn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection") cn.ConnectionString = "provider=LCPI.IBProvider.3;data source=localhost:employee.fdb;user id=gamer;password=vermut;auto_commit=true" call cn.Open() on error resume next call cn.Execute("DROP TABLE ABRA_KADABRA") on error goto 0 dim i for i=0 to cn.Errors.Count-1 wscript.echo "--- ERROR: "&cstr(i+1) wscript.echo "SQLState : "&cn.Errors.Item(i).SQLSTATE wscript.echo "NativeError : "&cn.Errors.Item(i).NativeError next

Result:

 --- ERROR: 1 SQLState : 42S02 NativeError : 336397206 <-- ISC CODE: isc_dsql_table_not_found 

Very often in our programs, we forget or are too lazy to check the data we transfer to our database. We believe that a smart Firebird or Interbase server will solve the possible issues itself, although this is not its task.

In extremely advanced cases, the data inputted by a user is immediately converted to the necessary type via CAST without any verification.

As a result, a user inputs a "bunk", a DBMS driver transfers the "bunk" to the server, and the server returns an error to the user. Your users start hating you because "your programs are glitchy and your fingers are all thumbs" and you hate users who are unable to input text properly.

Guess what the user will think of you
when he sees this error on his screen?

What Can I Do So My Programs Don’t "Glitch"?

Use Firebird and Interbase access components that have implemented control over the inputted data and their "smart conversion" into the server supported format. This will substantially reduce the amount of work you have with inputted data control and its coercion to the database types.

For instance, the new IBProvider itself provides “smart conversion” of text into DBTYPE_R8 (DOUBLE). In particular:

• It controls overflow.
• Flexible scalability algorithm prevents problems similar to CORE-2857 .

For example:

 dim cn set cn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection") cn.ConnectionString = "Provider=LCPI.IBProvider.3;Location=localhost:employee.fdb; User ID=SYSDBA;Password=masterkey" cn.Properties("auto_commit_ddl") = 1 'run DDL in separate trans cn.Open cn.BeginTrans cn.Execute("RECREATE TABLE TBL_R8 (R8 DOUBLE PRECISION)") dim cmd set cmd=createobject("ADODB.Command") cmd.ActiveConnection=cn cmd.CommandText="insert into TBL_R8 VALUES (?)" cmd.Parameters.Append cmd.CreateParameter(,8) 'adBSTR wscript.echo "------------------------------------------" cmd(0).value="1."&string(1024,"0") wscript.echo "insert value to TBL_R8: "&cstr(cmd(0).value) cmd.execute ' or very huge double 'cmd(0).value="1"&string(1000*1000,"0")&"E-1000000" 'wscript.echo "------------------------------------------" 'wscript.echo "value2: "&cstr(cmd(0).value) 'cmd.execute cn.CommitTrans call cn.close() 

After script execution, the screen will display the value of the input parameter that will be converted into DOUBLE PRECISSION and added to the database:

 ------------------------------------------ insert value to TBL_R8: 1.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 

If you work via the new IBProvider, such queries will NOT return the error of arithmetic exception, numeric overflow, or string truncation.

In 10 years of working with the IBProvider project,
we have FREQUENTLY come across similar PROBLEMS.

The recent case with text conversion into the DOUBLE type is by far not the only one. In 10 years of working with the IBProvider project, we have FREQUENTLY come across similar PROBLEMS:

• The problem with accuracy when converting into DOUBLE
• The problem working with NUMERIC types on .
• Non-supported types (GUID, BOOL, MS SQL TIME and so on)
• And many other problems due to which our "smart type converter" appeared.

How Are the Problems with Type Conversion Solved?

IBProvider has implemented its own "smart type converter", which:

• Is compatible with all Windows versions, because it uses its own type conversion functions passing over the WinAPI.
• In most cases, doesn’t require the explicit type of coercion to the database type, because it supports on-the-fly coercion of simple types, VARIANT type, arrays and binary data.
• Emulates BOOL and GUID types absent in Firebird.
• You don’t need to write your text recorders anymore. The type converter has a unique mechanism that supports on-the-fly text conversions of 49 charsets, including UNICODE, UTF-8, OCTETS, and NONE.

How can you make sure that your access component works PROPERLY?

Implementing a perfect opportunity in the program code is not enough, it is necessary to make sure that the code will work ERROR-FREE in the most unpredictable situations. It is especially topical for complicated programs such as database access components.

The only way to check if the component works properly is to employ an automatic test system. Otherwise you will inevitably have:

• Memory leaks;
• Critical shutdowns of applications;
• Inconsistent error messages that cannot be debugged;

IBProvider team released 12 new versions in 2009 and already three versions in 2010

In all the releases, we P-R-O-M-P-T-L-Y (promptly) implemented new functionality and solved known issues. We do not take money for new versions not released!

If you purchase IBProvider right now, you are guaranteed 1 year of free updates.

Do you want to make certain that you receive full-fledged releases and not raw builds?

Look through our news at least for the recent year.

For instance, in addition to the "smart conversion" of text into DOUBLE, in the new IBProvider version:

• Algorithms for reading/recording of properties have been optimized.
• The initialization property “Multiple Parameter Sets” is now TRUE by default. (v3)
• The initialization property “rowset_vm_using” is now -1 by default. This disables the memory manager based on VirtualAlloc+SEH.
• The error was fixed: ability to change RO properties when setting VT_EMPTY values.
• The initialization property “Window Handle” is not saved in connection settings file anymore.
• The provider uses UTF8 charset when saving initialization parameters into the file (IPersistFile interface)
• Processing of errors in the IPersistFile interface methods has been improved.
• Multiple inner changes.

Order IBProvider right now to
RECEIVE 1 year of FREE updates

Get IBProvider right now >>

New version of IBProvider is now available. The new release:

1. Use Unicode Windows API for national alphabet.
2. Has an improved compatibility with SharePoint Designer.
3. Errors in the type converter have been eliminated.

Problems with national characters in Windows have been eliminated

New IBProvider v.3 uses Unicode Windows API. This allows avoiding problems with displaying in non-localized Windows versions:

• in connection dialogs /DataLinks
• when working with temporary files having such symbols in their names or paths

Now, IBProvider v3 is compiled in UNICODE mode. The mode is supported only by platforms Windows NT,XP,Vista,2003,Win7. If you need 32-bit builds of v3 for Win9x, write to our support e-mail and we will send them.

Problems revealed in testing "SharePoint Designer 2007” have been eliminated

1. The initialization property Data Source is now defined as optional. This eliminates certain problems of working with the provider from SharePoint Designer 2007.
2. Error COM objects now support free-threaded applications.

Informativity of the error messages related to data transfer to the provider (v1/v2/v3) has been improved

In case of errors in transformation of IN parameters type or new column values into the type defined by Firebird or Interbase server, the provider saves information on fault reasons in the value status.

Changes in data type convertor (v1/v2/v3)

The revealed problems with DBTYPE_NULL have been eliminated.

Be quick to get a free license for IBProvider Professional

Quite recently, Firebird 2.5 Release Candidate 2 appeared. During regular IBProvider testing with new FB2.5 SuperClassic (RC2), we revealed a problem in the server: page 14194, page type 5 lock conversion denied (215). See detailed description of the problem here .

Possible test case:

Perform repeatedly the following operations with the base in parallel and using independent connections:
1. adding a group of entries with blobs/arrays
2. reading of entries added in p. 1
3. deleting of entries added in p. 1

IBProvider turns 10 years today

• We thank all who have been with us all these years.
• We thank FibPlus, ZStyle Group, Gemini InterBase/Firebird ODBC Driver, Easysoft ODBC-InterBase Driver, IBObjects. Owing to you, we have what to compare IBProvider to; together we make a big deal of promoting Firebird and Intrebase among masses.
• We thank Firebird developers. Owing to you, people have a good free database server.
• We thank our clients. Owing to you, IBProvider has been developed and will be developed.

Changes in IBProvider v.3.0.0.8416

DDL query "COMMENT ON" in Firebird 2.1

COMMENT ON – is a DDL query, which allows setting up description for database objects. It was first introduced in Firebird 2.1.

When running COMMENT ON DDL query, IBProvider auto_commit_ddl and auto_commit_ddl_level properties are taken into account.

Examples of COMMENT ON for Firebird 2.1

COMMENT ON DATABASE IS 'NASA Database';

COMMENT ON for: DOMAIN, TABLE, VIEW, PROCEDURE, TRIGGER, EXTERNAL FUNCTION, FILTER, EXCEPTION, GENERATOR, SEQUENCE, INDEX, ROLE, CHARACTER SET, COLLATION

COMMENT ON DOMAIN CUSTNO IS 'DOMAIN FOR CUSTOMER NUMBER';

COMMENT ON COLUMN EMPLOYEE.EMP_NO IS 'Employee number'

COMMENT ON PARAMETER add_emp_proj.EMP_NO IS NULL;

Updatable rowsets code revision in IBProvider v.2.6.16.2972

• We revised and enhanced updatable rowsets code.
• We improved testing system for Updatable rowsets.

We recommend upgrading to all clients who use updatable rowsets in IBProvider v2.

All DB servers are supported:

• Interbase: v4.x, v5.x, v6.x, v7.x, v8.x (2007), v9 (2009)
• Firebird: 0.9, 1.0, 1.5.x, 2.1.x, 2.5
• Yaffil

If you use Firebird 2.1, we recommend you to upgrade to FB 2.1.2 or above (see Bug Tracker, CORE-2008 )..

Stored procedure call command "exec SP" was improved

Sample procedure:

 CREATE PROCEDURE SP_TEST (A INTEGER=2) AS BEGIN ... END 

In previous IBProvider versions exec SP_TEST command transformed to EXECUTE PROCEDURE SP_TEST (see property ado_exec_sp). Call of prepare() for this command worked fine but IN-parameters was not built.

In new IBProvider v.3.0.0.8195 stored procedure call:

exec SP_TEST

will be transformed using IN-parameters list to the following sql-command:

 EXECUTE PROCEDURE SP_TEST(?) 

Åxec SP restriction: Firebird 2.1 supports default-values for SP-parameters but didn't supports SQL_DEFAULT type. Therefore IBProvider disable this feature and didn't interact with default values of SP-params.

In the new IBProvider version, we removed the cause of low performance of IBProvider builds compiled in Visual Studio.

Now these builds work several times faster in both single-threaded and multi-threaded applications.

Now you can see for yourself that the new IBProvider version is much more effective than previous ones..

The figure presents the diagram of the builds testing in our test system:

* X-direction is test time in seconds.

• Red graph - the old version IBProvider v 3.0.0.7798.
• Blue graph - the new version IBProvider v.3.0.0.7866.

The table contains performance results in complex OLE DB test:

Test system description:

We fixed the error related to the queries pool

Load-testing of IBProvider 3.0.0.7866 resulted in the identification and fixing of the error related to the queries pool. The error started to appear in IBProvider 3.0.0.7575. We recommend the owners of this version to upgrade it.

Error description:

In some extremely neglected cases with server performance ( Firebird 2.5 debug build was used), IBProvider used to hang up at obvious call of ADODB.Connection.Close.

New component LCPI.IBP.Samples.RowCursor - the faster substitute for ADODB.Recordset

IBProvider distribution kit now has the new component LCPI.IBP.Samples.RowCursor available both compiled and as source codes. This is a simplified counterpart of ADODB.Recordset component. However, it provides faster access to data due to the following features:

• Instead of EOF/MoveNext, the component provides the unified Fetch method.
• At each reference to Field.Value, ADODB.Recordset makes a query to OLEDB provider and doesn’t cache the obtained data, and RowCursor is able to download data from all entry fields and uses caching.
• IDispatch::Invoke call has been optimized for basic methods. This makes script programs work faster.
• IOpenRowset interface is used, which allows to perform SQL-queries via session object without creation of a command. This feature is supported only in IBProvider v3.

Peculiarities of the component operation:

• ADODB-compatible, uses ADODB.Connection to connect to the database.
• Supports all data types including BLOB, arrays, and binary types.
• By now, only unidirectional data access has been implemented.

Comparative tests on VBScript (IDispatch interface is used) have shown that LCPI.IBP.Samples.RowCursor works up to 30% faster with some operations than ADODB.Recordset..

Source code of the component

The source code of LCPI.IBP.Samples.RowCursor is available in IBProvider distribution kit: (Samples\oledb\sample_com_object)

Examples of the component usage

The examples of the component usage can be found in IBProvider test system, which is included into the distribution kit :

• TestCode\ActiveX\IBP\test_system\tests\test.ibps.row_cursor.01.vbs
• TestCode\ActiveX\IBP\test_system\tests\test.ibps.row_cursor.02.vbs
• TestCode\ActiveX\IBP\test_system\tests\test.ibps.row_cursor.03.vbs
• TestCode\ActiveX\IBP\test_system\prog\prog_perf__02_row_cursor.wsf
• TestCode\ActiveX\IBP\test_system\prog\prog_perf__03.wsf

Changes in the distribution kit

Now IBProvider Professional distribution kit includes 2 new optimized dlls:

• _IBProvider_v1_vc9_i.dll (IBProvider v1);
• _IBProvider_v2_vc9_i.dll (IBProvider v2);

Instead of Free Borland C++ compiler, they are compiled with the new up-to-date compiler from Visual Studio 2008 SP1+. They substituted the following files:

• _IBProvider.dll;
• _IBProvider_v2.dll;

The new installer includes only optimized builds of IBProvider v1 and IBProvider v2:

1. _IBProvider_v1_vc9_i.dll, _IBProvider_v2_vc9_i.dll, (Visual Studio 2008 SP1+ compiler);
2. _IBProvider_v1_vc9_w64_i.dll è _IBProvider_v2_vc9_w64_i.dll (Visual Studio 2008 SP1+ compiler); registered during installation on a 64-bit platform.
3. _IBProvider_i.dll, _IBProvider_v2_i.dll (Free Borland C++ compiler); Ðregistered by the installer..

Optimization (v3)

• temp_file_dir
• rowset_file__sys_flags
• rowset_file__write_block_size
• rowset__memory_usage

Added support of GB18030 charset (v3)

New compiler