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Glad we spent all that time on OLE DB


As the SQL Team notes:
"The next release of Microsoft SQL Server, Code Name “Denali,” will be the last release to support OLE DB. OLE DB will be supported for 7 years from launch, the life of SQL Server Code Name “Denali” support, to allow you a large window of opportunity for change before deprecation. We encourage you to adopt ODBC in any future version or new application development.

Making this move to ODBC also drives more clarity for our C/C++ programmers who can now focus their efforts on one API."

They forgot to mention "and make all of their efforts over the past few years wasted on supporting a technology that we would eventually kill"

Microsoft's promotion of OLE DB over ODBC is similar to their enthusiasm behind WPF and Silverlight.

WPF's Browser implementation reminds me of the old ActiveX Document technology - it looks like a Browser but it downloads a WPF core to the client - technology that has its roots over 10 years ago.

When it comes to frustrating developers, Microsoft's actions in the past few years is fast becoming the gold standard.

When WPF was promoted as the upcoming technology, I asked a number of developers if new .Net programmers should skip learning WinForms and move right to that technology. "No" - I was told. Yet, with the exception of the code behind work, WPF is so different that WinForm developers face a steep learning curve - so much so that many keep on building these solutions.

WPF leans into Silverlight, which is on as slippery a slope as OLE DB (in my opinion). WPF's saving grace is XAML, which hopefully Microsoft keeps around for 10 years, 3 years longer than OLEDB.

One of the big pushing points for developers moving to VFP 9 was OLE DB, which fits into Visual Studio and .Net.

What was the point?

Imagine what would have happened if those developer resources had been moved to other benefits from the FoxPro platform. Politics win, developers lose.

Comments

Ted Roche said…
They forgot to mention "and make all of their efforts over the past few years wasted on supporting a technology that we would eventually kill"

And when was that not the case? OS/2? DDE? BizTalk? FoxPro? Visual Fred?

It's their MO, not an exception to the rule.
September 7, 2011 at 3:14 PM
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