Well, if you don't like %MB+ executables then you should consider doing .NET development instead. That way you can still keep your executables small. Unfortunately it does require the additional (and huge) .NET runtime library but it is an option. But it has good database support and a lot of other useful options. Easy to distribute too, if your customers have .NET is installed.
Still, I do think that most people don't mind huge executables if this keeps them free of the .NET environment. Besides, executables tend to get that big because people keep adding hundreds of forms to them, with lots of buttons and many third-party components. If you use for example DevExpress in your application for all those neat grids, then don't be suprised to see your executable grow to 4 MB or so. It is pssible to create very small executables with Delphi though. Even database applications. All you have to do is avoid the use of anything from the Delphi VCL. By importing the ADODB typelibrary in a console application (without the component wrappers) you can still keep it below 100 kilobytes. It's just that you don't have any interesting graphical interface that way. With kind regards, X Katja Bergman. --- In [email protected], David Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > It is free for local db access and it is fast and efficient. Not having any DLL's certainly narrows your list of choices. I feel that Delphi makes the exe bloated enough without adding the db access in there too. I think Microsoft has sufficiently soured people on the idea of a 5+ MB exe.. > > DJS > > Katja Bergman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > But is Advantage DB free? I thought it wasn't. Besides, I don't like > Paradox that much anymore. I also dislike any database that needs any > additional DLL's and other files to be installed with my application. > > Okay, with Access you will need MDAC 2.7 installed but with the > Delphi ADO components it is quite easy to connect to the database. > And you don't need ODBC to connect to Access through ADO since ADO > has direct drivers to connect to Access. > > With FlashFiler you also have pretty much power but it's not easy to > use while developing software. But for the end user it is very easy > to maintain. And FlashFiler doesn't require any additional DLL's or > executables. One single stand-alone application can be enough and > this application could even auto-create all the tables it needs. > Means that all you have to give the user is a single executable. > > With kind regards, > X Katja Bergman. > > --- In [email protected], David Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > Delphi users accustomed to Paradox could make an easy and painless > switch to Advantage DB. It will painlessly migrate your Paradox app > over to Advantage. It's got the advantage in that it just requires a > few DLL's in the application directory and has a much lower memory > footprint than Paradox. It has some minor quirks but the > documentation is quite adequate. > > > > DJS > > > > Katja Bergman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Hi, > > > > I have experimented with XML a bit and it's not as easy to use as > > you'd assume at first. I borrowed a tool called 'XMLSpy' from my > dad, > > who is a professional software developer and it helped me to create > > schema's and other files to be used but it's a pretty expensive > tool. > > Another problem with Delphi is that it doesn't support XML as well > as > > I hoped for. Well, the .NET implementation works fine but the WIN32 > > implementation of XML in Delphi has a few flaws. The date-format is > > crooked and boolean fields are written the wrong way too. (Delphi > > uses 'True' or 'False' while they should have used 'true' > or 'false - > > all lowercase.) As a result, Delphi's XML implementation isn't > fully > > compatible with the full XML standard. Meaning you'll need some > > better third-party components or use the MSXML libraries more > > directly in your code, without the Delphi wizards... > > > > Another interesting and free alternative is FlashFiler from > > TurboPower. You can fint it at > > http://sourceforge.net/projects/tpflashfiler/ and it's real useful > > for client-server applications. But you'll need some knowledge > about > > TCP/IP to get it working correctly and it's a bit out-of-date right > > now. (But you get full source and don't need any third-party > > libraries or whatever.) > > > > With FlashFiler you have to create two applications. First of all a > > server application which will maintain the database. This > application > > would preferably be a system service, running in the background. > > The second application is your client application which just > connects > > to the server. This means that your application can run on a > > different computer than your database and it can also handle quite > a > > few users at the same time. It's pretty reliable, but not real easy > > to use. > > > > MS SQL Server isn't free for distribution, is it? Besides, such an > > installation might interfere if a user already has an SQL Server > > database installed on their system. > > > > If you're looking for a local database then I'd say that Access is > > actually the only good solution. Or Paradox if you don't mind > > installing the BDE with your application. If you need multiple > users > > accessing the same database or want the database installed on a > > different system than your executable, InterBase, SQL Server or > > FlashFiler would be better alternatives. > > > > If you really want to keep it simple for the user and if you can > > handle the complexity, consider using FlashFiler in that case. It's > > not easy to use at first but it means that you can contain > everything > > within one or two applications. (The FlashFiler server could also > be > > a FlashFiler client. It doesn't have to be a service.) > > > > With kind regards, > > X Katja Bergman. > > > > --- In [email protected], "custom_soft_sol" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > > > > Hi Katja, > > > > > > Yes, I do know that XML is not a true DB, the reason I thought of > > it > > > was because it is free :) > > > > > > My options at this point are Firebird, MSSQL 2005 Express, XML > and > > > Access. > > > > > > I really would rather not use access though. I would love to use > > > MSSQL 2005 Express, but then I need to get a very easy way of > > > installing it silently and being able to maintain it from within > my > > > application (which should not be too bad as I have done it > before). > > > > > > Are there any other ideas that anyone can help me with? > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Katja Bergman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > I myself am just a student so I know what you mean with 'free, > > > easy > > > > installation and maintenance'. :-) That does limit your options > a > > > bit, > > > > though. > > > > One thing that you'll have to keep in mind is the design of > your > > > > application. How many people will be accessing the database at > > the > > > > same time, for example? Would those users actually need > straight > > > > access to the data too? Or would their only access to the data > be > > > > through your application? > > > > > > > > About XML... You do realise that XML isn't a real database > > format? > > > > It's just a storage protocol for data and often useful for > simple > > > > configuration files or to exchange data between multiple > > > applications. > > > > > > > > Interbase and MySQL are good, free options but not too easy to > > > > install. But if you have installed MS-Office then Access might > > > also be > > > > an interesting alternative. All you need to work with Access is > > > ADO > > > > and of course the database file with your data inside it. And > it > > > would > > > > allow users to access the data directly too. > > > > Access has one other good thing, though. While you have to pay > > for > > > the > > > > product itself, distributing ADO and your Access database files > > is > > > > just free of charge. So your users wouldn't have to pay for > > Access > > > if > > > > they just use your application. Besides, Office is a very > popular > > > > product too. > > > > > > > > Access is also pretty easy to maintain and install. I know that > > > > especially Delphi developers who are used to DBase or Paradox > > > consider > > > > it a moral sin to even consider using Access but it cannot be > > > denied > > > > that it's a very good alternative. > > > > > > > > With kind regards, > > > > X Katja Bergman. > > > > > > > > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------- > > Home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/delphi-en/ > > To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > To visit your group on the web, go to: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/delphi-en/ > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! 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