--------------------------------------------------------- Microsoft(R) Data Access Components version 2.0 Readme File --------------------------------------------------------- (c) 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This document describes added functionality or new components of the Microsoft Data Access Components. ADDED FUNCTIONALITY OR COMPONENTS IN MDAC 2.0 ---------------------------------------------- 1. Microsoft Data Link API is a new feature of the MDAC 2.0 Core Components. Microsoft Data Link API provides a common user interface for defining and managing connections to OLE DB data sources. This user interface can also be called using an application programming interface, the data link API. You can save the connection information to a data link file (.udl). Then you can modify these files through the Data Links Property page, and applications can use them in creating connections to various OLE DB data stores. The Data Link API provides applications the ability to select, load, or save .udl files. The same user interface used to manage connection information in .udl files can be used by applications to gather connection information from users when doing ad-hoc connections to OLE DB data stores. The data links API allows applications to obtain a string version of the connection information from an existing OLE DB datasource object, create a datasource object from an existing connection string, or use the Data Links dialog to edit the connection properties of an uninitialized OLE DB data source object. NEW FEATURES IN MICROSOFT ADO 2.0 ------------------------------- ADO 2.0 adds several new features for developers. 1. Asynchronous Connection, Execution, Fetching, and Events As did RDO 2.0, ADO now supports asynchronous operations. Asynchronous operations allow you to cancel out of an extended operation or to continue processing while waiting for the connection to complete. Events notify you when an asynchronous operation has been completed. Asynchronous fetching is a feature specific to the client cursor (CursorLocation = adUseClient), which returns the first rows from a query result and then continues fetching in the background while you manipulate the rows that have already been fetched. 2. Data Shaping In conjunction with the MSDataShape provider, ADO can expose data hierarchically. ADO can also expose grouping and aggregation over a recordset. 3. Persistence You can now save a Recordset object right to your local hard drive and load it later (when working with client cursors). This allows you to connect to the server, execute a query, call rst.Save("myfilename"), shut down the computer, and later call rs.Open("myfilename",,,,adCmdFile) and modify the data. 4. Fabricated Recordset Objects You can create Recordset objects in ADO 2.0 without executing a query against the data source. Just create a new Recordset object, append some Field objects, call rst.Open(), and you now have a Recordset object that you can append data to, remote, and treat just as if the Recordset object had been created from a query. 5. Sort, Filter, and Find Allows you to manipulate results at the client when using client cursors. 6. ADO Extensions for VC++ Provides improved performance for VC++ users by enabling the use of native data types instead of Variants in C++ code. 7. ADO Support for Visual Analyzer (Microsoft Visual Studio, Enterprise Edition Only) ADO works with Visual Analyzer, submitting events to help in analyzing performance. 8. Conflict Resolution for Client Cursors Provides enhanced functionality for Recordset objects built with client-side cursors in two-tier scenarios. New functions, like Resync and Update, with conflict resolution are now supported on client cursors. 9. Customizable DataFactory Behavior Implicit remoting behavior is customizable now via the DataFactory Handler object implementation. DataFactory handler can be used to customize the open and batchupdate behavior of Recordset objects opened via RDS. You have a choice of writing a new handler yourself or using the default handler (MSDFMAP.dll) that ships with RDS 2.0. The behavior of the default handler can be driven by editing the default INI file it uses -- MSDFMAP.INI. NEW FEATURES IN THE MICROSOFT OLE DB PROVIDER FOR JET, VERSION 3.52 -------------------------------------------------------------- With this release of the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Jet, you can use ANSI standard syntax with respect to parameter markers in queries. Previous versions of this provider supported only the Microsoft Jet-specific parameter marker syntax consisting of a parameter name enclosed in square brackets, where the parameter name is optional. Example: parameters parm1 text; select * from Table1 WHERE col1 = [parm1]; This version of the provider also supports the ANSI syntax, where a question mark, "?", is the parameter marker -- e.g., "...WHERE col1 = ?". Also with this release of the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Jet, Jet-specific syntax for wildcards ("*" and "?") has been replaced by ANSI syntax for wildcards ("%" and "_"). For example, consider a query that would return all instances where the data for a column started with the letter "A". Previously, the restriction would have been written "...WHERE col1 LIKE("A*")" but now would be written "...WHERE col1 LIKE("A%")". Please note that queries using the older, non-ANSI syntax will no longer return the same set of rows. NEW FEATURES IN THE MICROSOFT ODBC DRIVER FOR ORACLE ------------------------------------------------- This version of the Microsoft ODBC Driver for Oracle includes several improvements to performance and stability. You should find that the driver has greater functionality and speed due to the following additions: · Improved configuration control through additions to the ODBC Data Source Administrator, including Translation, Performance, and Customization options. · Extended Help file. This version also includes the features of the previous version, including: · Improved Extended Fetch with support for row-wise binding. See "Level 2 Functions" in Help. For specific details, see the Microsoft ODBC 3.0 Programmer’s References and SDK Guide. · Integration with Microsoft Transaction Server for distributed transactions. See "Using Microsoft Transaction Server" in Help. · Support for Oracle Packaged Procedure syntax in catalog functions. See "Returning Array Parameters from Stored Procedures" in Help. · Implementation of SQLDescribeParam to provide more accuracy in parameter descriptions for SQL statements. See "Level 2 Functions" in Help. · Ability to return arrays from Stored Procedures. See "Returning Array Parameters from Stored Procedures" in Help. · Support for Bookmarks. See "Level 2 Functions" and "Statement Options Table" in Help. · Extended Help file. This version of the Microsoft ODBC Driver for Oracle has greater stability because it has been tested against more environments like Microsoft Transaction Server and Internet Information Server. NEW FEATURES IN THE MICROSOFT OLE DB PROVIDER FOR ODBC, VERSION 2.0 --------------------------------------------------------------- The 2.0 version of this provider contains better handling of long data as well as performance and scaling enhancements. NEW FEATURES IN THE MICROSOFT SQL SERVER ODBC DRIVER, VERSION 3.6 ------------------------------------------------------------ A new version of the Win32 SQL Server Client Configuration utility is also installed with the version 3.6 SQL Server ODBC driver. This SQL Server Client Configuration utility can be used with Microsoft SQL Server version 4.21a or later and the Client Net-Libraries that come with those versions of SQL Server. NEW FEATURES IN THE MICROSOFT VISUAL FOXPRO ODBC DRIVER, VERSION 6.0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Query performance is 20% faster. VFPODBC.DLL is smaller (from 1.20 MB to ~835 KB). The SET commands (see Help file for a list of supported SET commands) are now supported. VERSION( ) is supported through stored procedures. Local views are read-only. If you insert or update a table with a logical field (a column with a SQL_BIT data type), you can now use 1 (true) and 0 (false) to store a value in a field. When comparing values or in an expression, you must use .T. (true) and .F. (false). The 16-bit version of Microsoft Query (version 1.0) now works with the Visual FoxPro ODBC Driver. SQLGetInfo and SQL_FILE_USAGE now return SQL_FILE_QUALIFIER both for database and free table data sources.