Data Abstract

Enjoy all the benefits of a True Multi-Tier Architecture

Data Abstract provides a holistic framework that covers all parts of the multi-tier data access story ¿ not merely the data access itself, but also, among other things:

• How client and server communicate (leveraging the included RemObjects SDK).
• How authentication of clients will be handled.
• How parameters or conditions for data retrieval will be passed between client and server.
• How business rules are applied to the data
• How error conditions will be passed back from server to client, if updates fail.

Abstracting Database Structure and Type, with Schemas

Schemas are a feature unique to Data Abstract, and allow application code ¿ both on the client and in the middle tier ¿ to be written in a fashion that keeps it abstracted from the structure or dialect of the underlying back-end database.

With Data Abstract, the days of writing code that can only work against one single database vendor are over, as all the database-specific intricacies are handled by the DA library and/or information stored in the schema. The code you write to implement business logic or client functionality will be database agnostic, so your applications can, for example, be easily connected to a Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle back-end, without code changes.

Tight Integration with Supported IDEs

Data Abstract integrates tightly with the Visual Studio, Delphi and Free Pascal (Lazarus) IDEs to provide the best possible development experience.

Project templates are provided to get you started writing server or client applications in no time. The Service Builder and Service Tester tools are accessible right from the IDE and integrate with your active project to design and test your server applications.

Broad Platform Support

Data Abstract was designed from the ground up to be cross-platform and enable communication between as many different operating systems, tool chains and devices as possible.

Not only is Data Abstract available in separate editions for Delphi, .NET and Mac developers - each of these editions itself provides support for a range of platforms, with .NET projects being supported on Linux and Mac OS X (in addition to, of course, Windows) through Mono, Delphi projects being supported on Linux and 64-bit Windows through the open source Free Pascal compiler. Both Mac OS X and iPhone are supported with the new edition of Data Abstract for OS X.

Full wire compatibility is preserved between the different libraries and operating systems, making sure that clients and servers written using any of the editions and running on any of the supported platforms can communicate with each other, seamlessly.

Build rich web clients using DA's native support for Silverlight or JSON

A lot of application development today is done for the web. In addition to of course being accessible from ASP.NET, Data Abstract also allows developers to create rich data access directly from client code running in the web browser, be it from standard 'AJAX' style websites using HTML and JavaScript talking to a Data Abstract server via JSON, or Silverlight applications.

Use the new DA SQL to query your middle tier as if it were a SQL database

DA SQL provides never seen before flexibility in client-side data access, by allowing client code to express its data access queries using standard SQL code that will be processed against schema and business logic on the middle tier.

DA SQL combines the full power and flexibility of direct database access, while maintaining all the security and abstraction of a true muti-tier system.

Leverage DA LINQ to retrieve data using strongly typed queries ¿ client side

DA LINQ is a client-side technology in Data Abstract for .NET that allows the use of Language Integrated Query code in C# 3.0, Delphi Prism and Visual Basic.NET to write strongly typed queries to specify data to be retrieved from the middle-tier server. it provides the flexibility of DA SQL, while providing fully typesafe access to data through auto-generated classes.

Data Abstract is the only technology that supports LINQ to be used on the client side of the middle-tier scenario, and fully supports DA LINQ in both desktop .NET applications as well as in Silverlight browser clients.

Feature of RemObjects Data Abstract

General Features

• Build scalable cross-platform multi-tier database solutions for .NET, Mono, 32- and 64-bit Windows and Linux, Windows Mobile, Mac OS X and the iPhone.
• Target different database layouts or systems using a common code base
• Use the RAD Schema Modeler to model the structure of your data as it will be exposed to the middle- and client-tier.
• Absolutely no deployment license fees.
• Full support for C#, Oxygene, Visual Basic .NET (.NET Edition) and Object Pascal (Delphi Edition).
• New full support for Silverlight and JavaScript/JSON web clients.

Library Features

• Complete abstraction of different databases types: write one set of code and target any supported database backend type.
• Complete abstraction of different database layouts: have a single middle-tier server target different database designs, for example a legacy database and a new, well-designed replacement database.
• Build your applications with a 'stateless' focus for maximum scalability and seamless cluster integration.
• Easily create your own data access drivers to extend the list of databases supported out of the box.
• Support for regular expressions for client-side data-validation.
• Strongly Typed Data Tables allow you to access your tables from code using fully object-oriented code.
• Business Helper Classes allow you to encapsulate business logic and rules.
• Let Data Abstract auto-generate all SQL code on the fly - or provide manually written SQL code to cover special requirements.
• Minimise SQL dialect differences in shared SQL code using Data Abstract's macro processor.
• Fully reusable Reconcile Dialog architecture, allowing you to provide end-users with detail feedback about failed updates.
• High performance memory data table component for client-side data storage (Delphi/FPC only; .NET leverages the existing DataSet class).
• Rich Business Rules Scripting using RemObjects Pascal Script. (Delphi Only)
• 100% native and platform-specific implementations, designed from the ground up for the individual platforms.
• Full source code is provided, allowing you to make changes and rebuild the library, if needed.

Data Access Features

• Stream data all at once, on demand, paged or any combination of these.
• Re-synch fields with the remote data source automatically.
• Enhanced Business Processors give you more control on your business updates.
• Cross-database AutoInc and generator support for integer-based primary and foreign keys.
• Full support for stateless Master/Detail transactional updates.
• Extensive set of cross-database data types including new XML, GUID and Decimal types.
• Leverage new DynamicWhere and DynamicSelect features to vertically or horizontally filter the subsets of data retrieved by the client.
• Reduced Delta mode to optimize network traffic by only sending key and changed fields for updates.
• define Union Tabless in your schema and transparently publish them to clients as one coherent data table.
• New: leverage DA SQL and DA LINQ to flexibly query data from the client (.NET only)

Schema Modeler Features

• Design your data-access layer in an innovative RAD way using the Schema Modeler.
• Use the Data Explorer for a live view of the underlying database system.
• Create and define data tables and commands via drag and drop.
• Use update rules to design complex update sequences without a single line of code.
• Let the Validation Wizard ensure that your schema 100% matches the underlying database.
• Define Column Mappings to abstract differences in database layout.

IDE Integration Features

• Full integration with the supported IDEs.
• Project Templates and extensive New Project Wizard to help start new projects
• Project integration of Schema Modeler with the IDE, allowing you to edit your schemas within the IDE's project system (.NET) or form designer (Delphi).
• New Welcome Page displayed after first install to assist new users with getting acquainted with the product.