Data Abstract for .NET

What's New in RemObects Data Abstract 7 and RemObjects SDK 7

• All New Schema Modeler 7 - Built from the ground up in modern technologies it provides a more intuitive and easier-to-use interface for designing and testing schemas, and many enhancements and new features, such as better access to Business Rules Scripts and full-blown server-side Relativity Schema Modeling.
• URL Schemes - Consistent support for URL Schemes across all channel and message types. RemObjects SDK channels and Remote Services, as well as Data Abstract Remote Data Adapters, can now be initialized using a URL string and will automatically pick the right channel type (be it HTTP(S), TCP or the Super channels) and message types, as needed. This helps make client configurations simpler, including the option to easily let the user switch channels and messages simply by adjusting the URL.
• New and Improved DA LINQ IDE Integration - Vast improvements have been made to the workflow for creating and updating DA LINQ strongly typed classes in Visual Studio
• Visual Studio 2012 and Metro support - Full Visual Studio 2012 RTM support and the ability to create WinRT (also known as Metro, or "Windows Store") client applications for Windows 8 and ARM-based Windows RT devices. This includes updated WinRT libraries, as well as a Project Wizard and templates for WinRT.
• Improvements to Data Abstract for Xcode - New properties and delegate callbacks on the Remote Data Adapter significantly help with user authentication. Enhancements to the logic for applying updates now let the client application continue to make further changes to a table, even while other changes are still being asynchronously applied to the server.
• Significant performance and memory load improvements - Madel across the DA library and the underlying RemObjects SDK, leading to particular gains on iOS and when dealing with relatively large messages and binary fields (such as those transferred in DA data requests)
• Full support for Delphi XE3 - Among many other improvements and fixes, both Data Abstract and RemObjects SDK for Delphi gain full support for the all new Delphi XE3 and FireMonkey 2.
• JavaScript Client Library Improvements - The DataTable implementation has been thoroughly streamlined, and large parts of the library have undergone internal refactoring and cleanup.

Speed and Reliability Improvements in RemObjects SDK for .NET and Xcode
Enhancements in RemObjects SDK have mostly been under the hood, with a lot of continuing effort having gone into code streamlining and improvements to message processing speed and memory footprint. This is bearing fruit in much lower overall memory consumption in .NET clients and servers, as well as Mac and iOS apps.

Extensive improvements have also been made to the Super Channels on both .NET and Xcode, to provide even better reliability and improved recovery in cases of connection loss. On the Xcode side, the SuperHTTP channel has also gained the ability to detect the system going to sleep with an active connection (Mac), and there shave been general improvements to backgrounding support (iOS).
Cryptography changes in RemObjects SDK for Xcode

Cryptography support in RO/Xcode has also been fully ported from OpenSSH (which has been deprecated on OS X and had to be included as part of the RO static library for iOS) to use Apple's native Common Crypto framework, meaning that the RO/DA libraries no longer contain any direct cryptography code themselves anymore.

The HTTP channels also have been improved with new delegate callbacks to better handle HTTPS connections to servers with self-signed certificates in a secure fashion. (This is the first step in an ongoing effort to enhance SSL support across all platforms.)

What's New in Data Abstract 6?

• New JSON data streamer for both platforms, that - working together with the JSON message in RO will make it easy to access Data Abstract servers from JavaScript.
• Improved the IDE experience for DA LINQ, with new menus and a custom tool in Visual Studio to generate code.
• New LoginEx method in the standard login services will provide new flexibility in implementing authentication where more parameters are needed.
• New DA SQL Browser tool is provided in DA/.NET to explore and query DA SQL based servers.

What's New in Data Abstract for .NET?

Features in all editions of Data Abstract

• AutoSQL lets Data Abstract generate SELECT statements on the fly, when needed
• Dynamic Select allows clients to retrieve subsets of fields, optimizes network traffic and reduces client side memory load
• Reduced Deltas feature for reducing network bandwidth when applying updates to tables with many fields or large blobs
• Dynamic Where allows clients to supply custom conditions for filtering data server-side, and apply those securely without risk of SQL injection attacks
• New Connection Types provide more flexibility for matching up statements in multi-database scenarios
• New expandable Reconcile Dialog architecture to easily provide end-users with feedback about failed updates
• Transparent support for Data Table Unions to publish combined data from multiple data tables as a single entity
• New Bin2DataStreamer for improved and more efficient streaming of data between client and servers
• Native support has been added for new XML, GUID and Decimal data types.
• New driver support is being provided for the open source SQLite embedded database
• Support for versioning of schema files.
• New Welcome Page displayed after the first install to assist new users with getting acquainted with the product.

Features specific to Data Abstract for .NET

• Database Schemas can now be accessed via the browser when using HTTP Server Channels
• SQL Server Compact Edition driver support
• Experimental support for the upcoming Visual Studio Codename 'Orcas'.

Data Abstract for .NET and Mono is a data-access framework built on top of ADO.NET and designed to create distributed cross-database systems. Extending RemObjects SDK for .NET, it allows you to create services that access any database by providing a clear separation between data-access and business-logic. Through the use of schemas and the Schema Modeler utility, it enables you to maintain a unique code base to access multiple database engines at the same time. Cross database systems are now as simple to build as single database ones.

Data Abstract for .NET Specific Features

• The unique RemoteDataAdapter allows you to stream and update multiple data tables at once, avoiding redundant network round-trips
• Extendable Data Abstract Remote Service provides you with all the basics to access your databases and start coding your business layer immediately
• Unique and simpler driver architecture controlled by XML configuration files
• Exchange data in an optimized binary format with clients written in .NET, Mono, Delphi or Kylix and running on a large variety of platforms

RemObjects Data Abstract Core Features

• Build scalable multi-tier cross platform database applications for .NET, Mono and Win32
• Target different database back-ends using a common code base
• Use Schema Modeler to design the interface of your data
• Leverage the new wizards and IDE enhancements to build DA applications even easier than with previous versions
• Support for a wide range of database back-ends, including Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, Interbase/Firebird, Sybase, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, NexusDB and many more

Data Abstract for .NET Features

• Complete abstraction of different databases: use the same code for Microsoft SQL Server, InterBase, Oracle, MySQL, DBISAM, DB/2, etc.
• Build your applications with a "stateless" focus for maximum scalability and seamless cluster integration
• Stream data all at once, on demand, paged or any combination of those
• Re-synch fields automatically with the remote data source
• Use update rules to design complex update sequences without a single line of code
• Enhanced Business Processors give you more control on your business updates
• Cross-database autoincrement and generator-based field support
• Work with either auto-generated SQL or proprietary dialects, whenever higher performance or access to RDBMS specific features is required
• Full support for stateless Master/Detail transactional updates
• Update Rules: create complex update sequences without a single line of code
• Design your data-access layer in an innovative RAD way using the Schema Modeler
• Minimize SQL dialect differences using Data Abstract's macro processor
• Easily create your own data access driver to extend the list that comes with the product
• Support for regular expressions for client-side data-validation
• No deployment license costs

Data Abstract Schema Modeler
Data Abstract's use of Schemas enables you to maintain a unique code base to access multiple database engines at the same time, making it easy to build cross database systems.
Schemas shield both the middle-tier business logic and the client applications from the intricacies of the back-end database by defining the proper commands and data tables and mapping these to the physical data sources.
Data Abstract includes the Schema Modeler utility, which is deeply integrated with the supported IDEs, to aid you in designing and maintaining Schema definitions. Schema Modeler includes tools for creating data tables and commands from the underlying database, designing the mappings for individual data sources and defining master/detail and foreign key relationships.