Author: REHSACK Date: Fri May 28 10:55:41 2010 New Revision: 14081 Added: dbi/trunk/lib/DBD/File/ dbi/trunk/lib/DBD/File/Roadmap.pod
Log: Add Roadmap for DBD::File and Pure Perl DBD's Added: dbi/trunk/lib/DBD/File/Roadmap.pod ============================================================================== --- (empty file) +++ dbi/trunk/lib/DBD/File/Roadmap.pod Fri May 28 10:55:41 2010 @@ -0,0 +1,132 @@ +=head1 NAME + +DBD::File::Roadmap - Planned Enhancements for the DBD::File and Pure Perl DBD's + +Jens Rehsack - May 2010 + +=head1 SYNOPSIS + +This document gives a high level overview of the future of the DBD::File DBI +driver and groundwork for pure Perl DBI drivers. + +The planned enhancements cover testing, performance, reliability, +extensibility and more. + +=head1 CHANGES AND ENHANCEMENTS + +=head2 Testing + +DBD::File and the dependent DBD::DBM requires much more automated tests, +covering stability of current API and compatibility with optional modules +like SQL::Statement. + +=head2 Performance + +Several discussions about support for features like index on columns or +cursors are made for DBD::CSV (which is a DBD::File based driver, too). +Same discussions could be made for DBD::DBM, DBD::AnyData, DBD::RAM or +DBD::PO etc. + +To improve the performance of the underlying SQL engines, a clean +reimplementation seems to be required. Currently both engines are premature +optimized and therefore it's not trivial to optimize even more without +high risk of breaking running features. + +Join the DBI developers IRC channel at L<irc://irc.perl.org/dbi> to +participate or write us to the DBI Developers Mailing List. + +=head2 Reliability + +DBD::File currently lacks following points: + +=over 4 + +=item duplicate table names + +It's currently possible to access a table quoted with a relative path (a) +and second time using an absolute path (b). If the absolute path of (a) +points to the path of (b), it's not recognized (except flock protection +handled by the Operating System) and two independent tables are handled. + +=item invalid table names + +Current implementation doesn't protect from choosing a directory name +as physical file name for the table to open. + +=back + +=head2 Extensibility + +I (Jens Rehsack) have some (partially for example only) DBD's in mind: + +=over 4 + +=item DBD::Sys + +Derive DBD::Sys from a common code base shared with DBD::File which handled +all emulation DBI needs (as getinfo, SQL engine handling, ...) + +=item DBD::Dir + +Provide a DBD::File derived to walk with fixed table definitions through the +file system to demonstrate how DBI / Pure Perl DBD's could handle databases +with hierarchical structues. + +=item DBD::Join + +Provide a DBI driver which is able to manage multiple connections to other +Databases (as DBD::Multiplex), but allow them to point to different data +sources and allow joins between the tables of them: + + # Example + # Let table 'lsof' being a table in DBD::Sys giving a list of open files using lsof utility + # Let table 'dir' being a atable from DBD::Dir + $sth = $dbh->prepare( "select * from dir,lsof where path='/documents' and dir.entry = lsof.filename" ) + $sth->execute(); # gives all open files in '/documents' + ... + + # Let table 'filesys' a DBD::Sys table of known file systems on current host + # Let table 'applications' a table of your Configuration Management Database + # where current applications (relocatable, with mountpoints for filesystems) + # are stored + $sth = dbh->prepare( "select * from applications,filesys where " . + "application.mountpoint = filesys.mountpoint and ". + "filesys.mounted is true" ); + $sth->execute(); # gives all currently mounted applications on this host + +=back + +=head1 PRIORITIES + +Our priorities are localized to our current issues. At first, many new test +cases for DBD::File and DBD::DBM should be added to DBI test suite. After +it, some additional documentation how to use the DBD::File API will be +provided. + +Any additional priorities will come later and can be modified by (paying) +users. + +=head1 RESOURCES AND CONTRIBUTIONS + +See L<http://dbi.perl.org/contributing> for I<how you can help>. + +If your company has benefited from the DBI, please consider if +it could make a donation to The Perl Foundation "DBI Development" +fund at L<http://dbi.perl.org/donate> to secure future development. + +Alternatively, if your company would benefit from a specific new +DBI feature, please consider sponsoring its development through +the options listed in the section "Commercial Support from the Author" +on L<http://dbi.perl.org/support/>. + +Using such targeted financing allows you to contribute to DBI +development and rapidly get something specific and directly valuable +to you in return. + +My company also offers annual support contracts for the DBI, which +provide another way to support the DBI and get something specific +in return. Contact me for details. + +Thank you. + +=cut
