DBLocalI

TIBClientDataSet is a client dataset that uses an internal TIBDataSet and TDataSetProvider for fetching data and applying updates. It allows you to cache updates fetched using InterBase Expres without using an external provider and client dataset. 

Caching updates using TIBClientDataSet (or an InterBase Express dataset with an external provider and client dataset) provide many benefits other than those that result from caching updates. These include:

• You can use TIBClientDataSet to work with data stored in files on disk as well as with data fetched from a database server. This allows you to implement a 'briefcase model' style application.
• You can take advantage of features unique to client datasets such as maintained aggregates, filter support, and ranges.
• Your application can be converted more easily to or from one that uses a different data access mechanism, by leveraging the similarities between TIBClientDataSet and other client datasets such as TSQLClientDataSet and TBDEClientDataSet.

TIBClientDataSet works like TClientDataSet when it is connected to a local TIBDataSet via a provider, except that the source dataset and provider are internal. It surfaces some of the properties and events of TIBDataSet and TDataSetProvider so that you can specify the database server from which to fetch data, indicate what data to fetch from that server, influence what information is included in data packets, and provide input on the updating process. 

In addition to using the source TIBDataSet, TIBClientDataSet can read from and write to a dedicated file on disk. The internal provider and source dataset are not needed for working with file-based data, making TClientDataSet a more suitable choice if you are writing a purely file-based application. However, the ability to work with a file on disk makes TIBClientDataSet well-suited to 'briefcase model' applications. 

Choosing the Type of Dataset for Caching Updates