What's New in Rapid SQL XE and Rapid SQL 7.7

InterBase support

This release introduces support for InterBase® SMP, an Embarcadero offering. InterBase is a high-performance, full-featured database offering in a resilient, lightweight, low-cost package. Preliminary support includes:

• Connectivity/Datasource support - InterBase connectivity has been incorporated into the standard Rapid SQL datasource scheme. This release lets you register datasources, edit datasource details, and offers other common datasource management features.
• Object management - Editors/Wizards are available for a full set of object types and a preliminary set of object actions are available.
• SQL editor support - includes execution options, syntax checking, and Code Assist features

Datasource management

This release introduces a number of techniques for filtering the Datasource Explorer view. On-the-fly filtering lets you filter tree nodes as you work. Object filters, defined and enabled at either the DBMS or datasource level, let you filter display by object name/schema. Node filtering lets you hide or display object types by DBMS platform.

Also new to this release is the means to visually distinguish between datasources used for different purposes in your organization. You can assign a category, such as development or production, when creating or editing a datasource. When you assign a category to a datasource, the Datasource Explorer icons for the datasource show a distinctive color-coded category indicator. You can use the Options editor to customize your categorization scheme to include:

• A short name label included in the Datasource toolbar combo/dropdown when a categorized datasource is selected
• Color-coded tabs on windows associated with actions against a categorized datasource, editor or ISQL windows for example
• Color-coding of the status bar at the bottom of the Rapid SQL window

Rapid SQL now lets you select one of three methods of datasource catalog storage:

• Windows Registry datasource catalog - The datasource catalog is stored and managed locally, in the Windows registry.
• File based datasource catalog - The datasource catalog is stored locally and is file-based.
  
  

  For installations using the Windows Registry or File based method, the user can add and delete datasources and edit the registration details of existing resources. Any changes are retained across startups of Rapid SQL. As well, each of these methods is compatible with other Embarcadero products using that method, allowing Rapid SQL users to share the datasource catalog with other products using the same method.

• Network shared datasource catalog - The datasource catalog is file-based, and obtained from a user-specified location such as a network share. Changes such as new datasources, deleted datasources or edited datasource registrations are lost as soon as this user shuts down Rapid SQL. This method allows centralized maintenance of the Datasource Catalog and sharing of a single catalog among multiple users across a network.

The Datasource panel of the Options editor lets you choose a storage method and specify the network location of a Network shared Datasource catalog definition file. In addition, the Import/Export functionality available from the Manage Datasources facility has been enhanced specifically to account for the new storage methods.

Unicode support

Rapid SQL now includes Unicode support throughout the application, allowing you to work with data in different languages and display the text correctly on screen.

ISQL editor updates

The ISQL Editor has been enhanced with a set of automated validation and code assistance features:

• On-the-fly syntax-checking locates and diagnoses syntax errors as you type
• Semantic validation eliminates typographical errors and helps avoid outdated references in specified object names
• Code Complete analyzes statements as you type and offers intelligent suggestions with regard to object names
• Code Templates, configured using the Code Workbench, let you add customizable blocks of code to a script with a couple of keystrokes

In addition, specified query options that customize the execution environment can now be saved and subsequently loaded. The frequency with which the options are sent to the server has been optimized.

Updated support for Microsoft SQL Server features

Index support in Rapid SQL has been upgraded to account for newer Microsoft SQL Server index functionality. You can now rebuild, reorganize, and disable indexes, primary keys, and unique keys. When creating, dropping or rebuilding indexes, primary keys, or unique keys, online options are available with these operations. This release also offers sparse columns, MAXDOP support, and page and row locking.

Updated support for IBM DB2 for Linux, Unix, and Windows features

This Rapid SQL release supports the following recent upgrades to IBM DB2 for Linux, Unix, and Windows functionality:

• Encoding scheme options of ASCII, UNICODE, or NONE for character or graphic string parameters in procedures and functions
• Object ownership transfer for object owners and users with SECADM authority
• Inherit isolation level with or without lock request options on Structured Type methods

Updated support for IBM DB2 for z/OS features

This release features the following feature upgrades or improvements:

• Extended Truncate table support
• Table cloning actions
• Updated calculation and display of catalog table statistics
• Long object names
• Column size and default value modification with simple ALTER TABLE statements
• Compressed indexes, index key randomization, and expression-based indexes
• Universal tablespaces

Updated support for Oracle features

When creating or modifying tablespace datafiles, you can now set the availability of the datafile to either ONLINE or OFFLINE.

Updated support for Sybase features

A Server shutdown Wait Time option lets you enable a grace period, an upper limit on how long to wait for normal operations to complete before forcing a shutdown.

User interface improvements

This release continues the reworking of object editors and wizards. Aimed at improving workflow and the user interface experience, the new editors and wizards are being reworked for consistency. The following object editors/wizards were upgraded for this release:

• Microsoft SQL Server – Roles, User Messages
• DB2 for Linux, Unix, and Windows – Structured Types

Release Notes

DBMS SUPPORT

NOTE: Since Rapid SQL is a 32-bit application that runs emulated on 64-bit versions of Windows, only 32-bit versions of the DBMS client software are supported.

IBM DB2 UDB for z/OS

Server: IBM DB2 UDB for z/OS v8 and v9

Client: When going through a DB2 Connect gateway, DB2 UDB Client for Windows 6.0 or later. When going directly to the mainframe from the client, DB2 Connect Personal Edition v6 or higher on the client machine.

Server: IBM DB2 LUW Versions 8.x and 9.x

Client: IBM DB2 LUW Client for Windows 7.0 or later. When using a v8 client, Rapid SQL only supports connecting to a v8 Database on Windows, Linux and Unix.

Server: InterBase 2007 and InterBase 2009, Firebird 2.0

Client: DataDirect ODBC driver for InterBase and the InterBase Client

Server: Microsoft SQL Server 2000, 2005, (All editions including 2000 SDE and 2005 Express Edition for 32-bit x86 and 64-bit Itanium & x86-64) and 2008.

Client: Microsoft SQL Server Client Library

Server: 4.x

Client: MySQL ODBC driver 3.5.1 - 4.x.

Server: Oracle 8i, 9i, 10g, and 11g.

Client: Oracle SQL*Net Client

Server: Sybase System 12.5, Sybase 15.x

Client: Sybase Open Client

DBMS VERSIONS NO LONGER SUPPORTED

All DBMS versions supported in the previous release are supported for this version.

IMPORTANT ADVISORY NOTES

When working against versions prior to the Interbase 2009 Update 3 release, Rapid SQL may crash due to Interbase client/Data Direct ODBC Driver problems accessing the interbase.msg file. If you experience this type of crash, ensure that:

1. The DataDirect ODBC driver for InterBase and the InterBase Client are installed
2. The interbase.msg file exists in the InterBase client's directory
3. You have the correct path in registry. [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Borland\InterBase\Servers] has a RootDirectory key that should point to the InterBase installation directory, e.g. "RootDirectory"="D:\\CodeGear InterBase"

KNOWN ISSUES

1. Close Rapid SQL.
2. Uninstall the older MySQL ODBC client.
3. Restart Rapid SQL and try connecting to a MySQL datasource. You are prompted to install the MySQL client drivers.
4. Follow the installation instructions to install the new driver.

• The Debugger windows (Variables, Watch, CallStack, Dependency) cannot be undocked. This behavior is deliberate and is true only for the Debugger windows. The Output window can be undocked.
• When running Windows XP SP2, SQL Server 2000 SP4 is required on both the client and the server.
• When running the Debugger on SQL Server 2005 CLIENTS:
1. Verify that the file ssdebugps.dll is registered on the client machine. This file is REQUIRED for debugging and Microsoft only installs it on the server machine and not as a part of a client-only install.
2. Follow the instructions under the "Configure DCOM on the computer that is running Visual Studio. NET" heading from Microsoft to reconfigure the DCOM settings on your client machine: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=833977.
3. On the Default Properties tab of the My Computer dialog box, make sure the Default Authentication Level is set to None and that the Default Impersonation Level is set to Impersonate.
• When using the Embarcadero Sybase debugger against a Sybase database with multiple temporary databases (supported in Sybase ASE 12.5.0.3 and above), either the user or the debugger application must be bound to a specific temporary database.
• To bind the Embarcadero Sybase Debugger:
  sp_tempdb "bind" , "ap", "Sybase Debugger", "DB", "<tempdb name>"
• To bind the user:
  sp_tempdb "bind", "lg", "<login id>", "DB", "<tempdb name>"