The only way is SQL!
Would you like your application written in Delphi, Clipper, Harbour, or xHarbour start to work with the SQL database in an almost magical way? What is more, do you want it to happen in no time and without any effort from your side? If the answer is yes, you have found the right solution - Mediator ISAM server. Mediator has been created in order to provide a fast and unproblematic migration from the obsolete data technologies such as DBF to SQL which is becoming a standard.
Mediator enables porting any given Delphi or xBase application to the relational SQL database environment. Mediator allows to save what is the most precious - thousands of reliable code lines, and changes the weakest element of traditional ISAM applications - the way of storing and managing data. Moving data to SQL server means the end of problems with damaged indexes, too large tables or insufficient protection. Using Mediator is not only the end of problems with data storing, but it is also rendering access to full abilities of SQL database for programmers using Delphi and xBase tools.
Mediator enables fast and easy realization of technological breakthrough in software, with significantly smaller financial effort when compared to the one required for complete software rewriting.
How does Mediator ISAM server work?
Mediator server is a software which virtualizes SQL database server in such a way that efficient navigational access to database is possible.
SQL databases work using SQL queries which produce the result sets. On the other hand, many programming languages expect ISAM (Indexed Sequential Access Method) access to the data they process. This includes such languages as Clipper, Harbour, xHarbour and Delphi BDE components using dBase, Paradox or FoxPro files. ISAM access is record-oriented. ISAM application see data as a set of tables with attached indexes. It processes data one record at a time and the most common operation are:
moving to the top of open table
moving to the bottom of open table
moving to the next or previous record
finding the record using specified index
adding record
modifying current record
Using ISAM data, all this operations are quick and simple - there is no need to buffer data on the client workstation for performing backward moves.
Mediator server was designed to provide you with the ideal illusion of working over ISAM data while in reality the data is located in Oracle, MS SQL, IBM DB2, PostgreSQL or MySQL database server.
This means, for example, that your DBF-based application may work with SQL databases in exactly the same way as with DBF files without the need to write and optimize SQL queries.
At the moment of this writing Mediator ISAM server can be accessed from the following environments:
Borland Delphi
Clipper 5.2E and 5.3B
xHarbour
Harbour
from any Windows programming environment capable of creating COM objects
How can I use Mediator to migrate my application to SQL?
The idea is simple. Mediator server provides ISAM access services and your application use these services to continue working in exactly the same way as it did using old data formats. In order to do this you will need to use one of Mediator server client packages.
From Delphi applications you access Mediator ISAM server using TDataset descendant VCL component which implements the standard Delphi data-access mechanism and thus minimizes the changes required in your application. For detailed informations regarding Delphi client, please see
Mediator Delphi client
If you are Clipper, Harbour or xHarbour programmer you access Mediator server using dedicated
RDD driver. Please see
Mediator xBase/Clipper client section for more infomation.
If you wish to use ISAM Clipper-like data access method from any other Windows programming environment, you can make use of
Mediator COM interface which allows you to use well-known Clipper/xHabour/Mediator functions from any language which can create and access COM (ActiveX) objects.
Mediator ISAM server advantages
- facilitates fast migration of applications using ISAM data-access paradigm to the SQL environment
- automatically translates ISAM-like commands into carefully tuned, high performance SQL commands
- implements record numbers and dedicated locking methods required for ISAM access
- all data management and security is implemented by SQL database server
- allows for SQL commands to be passed from client application to database server
- same client access interface for all supported SQL databases - applications using Mediator can be easily switched between supported database servers
- an ability of simultaneous cooperation of different client applications with the same Mediator server - Enterprise version
- open architecture - accessible from virtually any programming environment
- accessed through client-server architecture
System requirements
Application types cooperating with Mediator server
CA-Clipper 5.2e, CA-Clipper 5.3b - Blinker 6.0 (or a newer one) linker required
xHarbour, Linux, Windows - see:
>> more
Harbour, Linux, Windows - see:
>> more
Borland Delphi applications
Any COM application - any application which can create and use COM objects, such as VB6, VB7.Net, VC++, C# e.t.c.
Supported database servers
Oracle 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Mediator platforms: Windows 2003/2008/XP/VISTA/7/8/2012, Linux, SUN SPARC Solaris
Microsoft SQL Server 2000/2005/2008/(Mediator 5)2012/2014
Mediator platforms: Windows 2003/2008/XP/VISTA/7/8/2012
PostgreSQL ver. 7.1 or newer one
Mediator platforms: Linux, Windows 2003/2008/XP/VISTA/7/8/2012
MySQL ver. 4.0 or newer one
Mediator platforms: Linux, Windows 2003/2008/XP/VISTA/7/8/2012
Mediator version 4. additionally works on Windows 2000.
