iOS Firebird SQL client for iPad

[carleton]

I would like to develop a business app for the iPad that calls for a transitional client/server architecture, such that the iPad is talking directly to a Firebird SQL database on a server somewhere. I am not seeing any info about the iPad talking directly to any RDBMS.

Is that simply a no-no? If so, how do folks talk directly to a RDBMS, via web services? How do folks sync between a RDBMS and an iPad?

 

[carleton]

The whole concept of OData makes a lot of sense, except in my case I am trying to eliminate layer of code. These layers simply take extra time to code and don't add any value since the solution will NEVER run on the open Internet, always on a closed intranet and simply cannot afford to operating in an offline mode, data is changing way too often for offline to be of any value.

Ideally I would like to go straight from iPad to the database. In the end it will really speed up development for this business centric application.

 

[mamcx]

These layers simply take extra time to code and don't add any value since the solution will NEVER run on the open Internet, always on a closed intranet and simply cannot afford to operating in an offline mode, data is changing way too often for offline to be of any value.

Ideally I would like to go straight from iPad to the database. In the end it will really speed up development for this business centric application.

In my experience with RO, the library is very fast. Also, compress & the binary channel speed up a lot the things (transmission is a important factor).

Plus, they have push data. You can request very small portions of it, and send directly from the server updates. Have also async request, and almost any trick in the book you ask for.

Data formats like oData, SOAP, Rest, etc are bloated envelopes for the data. The option of a efficient binary data (without lose the option to expose it using standard protocols, at the same time) is a great advantage.

Ask in the support groups for more details if you want. At least if wanna roll your own you can learn a lot from it...

 

[carleton]

I went looking into their support forums and discovered they are NNTP newsgroups. Thanks but no thanks, NNTP was GREAT back 15 years ago, but with all the forums out there today, I stay clear of NNTP.

One other piece of info about what I am doing... the iPad application is simply a small component of the whole solution. The whole solution contains both all the clients and the server. It looks like the RelativityServer would be a great solution, but it also looks like the royalties are a show stopper for me. The whole solution starts at only $224:

http://www.miltonstreet.com

 

[mamcx]

I went looking into their support forums and discovered they are NNTP newsgroups. Thanks but no thanks, NNTP was GREAT back 15 years ago, but with all the forums out there today, I stay clear of NNTP.

Agree! http://connect.remobjects.com/

Is possible to replicate much of the relativity server in a couple of days. The "magic" is in doing the virtual database schema, and everything else like user login, sessions, etc are plugable component that connect each other. The lib ship with several examples. Download the trial and check the samples if will work for you.