Supported Database Servers

dbFront currently supports MySql 4+, Microsoft SQL Server 2000+, and Oracle 10+.

MySQL

dbFront currently supports MySql 4 and beyond. Although MySql is not as powerful and feature-rich as some relational databases, yet MySql is an excellent and speedy database that is free, open-source, and for the most part, unencumbered by license usage or functionality restrictions. MySql is now owned by Oracle.

The supported versions of MySql are:

MySql 4 - 8, and beyond...

For more details see: MySQL Connectivity

Microsoft SQL Server

SQL Server comes in a variety of versions with various license restrictions. A very significant advantage is that for the most part, the different versions are completely compatible.

The express versions of SQL Server are free but have the primary limitation that the database can't exceed 4 gigs. This means you can take advantage of SQL Server's programmability and functionality and only upgrade when necessary. This makes it an excellent candidate for smaller web-focused databases that still want to have the ability to take advantage of the advanced programmability found in TSQL, SQL Server, and even .net.

The supported versions of SQL Server are:

SQL Server 2000 - 2016, and beyond...
Express, Standard, Advanced, etc...

For more details see: SQL Server Connectivity

Oracle Server

Oracle is still the king when it comes to database servers but it comes at a price. One of the aspects of Oracle that make it such a strong contender is that PL/SQL is designed to allow for the creation of self-contained packages. Packages make building and managing a block of related business logic much easier. This is excellent for systems like dbFront that want to offload most of their business-specific logic to the database.

The supported versions of Oracle are:

Oracle 10g,12c, and beyond...

For more details see: Oracle Connectivity

Business Logic Placement

Although there is often strong disagreement about where you should put business logic, the benefits of placing your business logic within the database server are significant.

The business logic will run much faster on the database than elsewhere because it has better access to the data it needs.
Having the business logic on the database means that the database is in a much better position to protect its data and ensure that all the business rules are consistently applied regardless of how the data is accessed and updated.
Database packages and components are much easier to change, test, and migrate.

Because of this, Database servers that have a stronger programming model can provide a significant advantage.

Other Databases

We intend to extend the database support within dbFront to cover other relational databases but we first want to deepen the support and functionality for the current databases.