FlexTools

FlexODBC is a 32bit ODBC driver (DLL) for the DataFlex Embedded DBMS. Visual DataFlex and Character Mode DataFlex stores its data in its own proprietary indexed DBMS file format. This driver allows users of any ODBC compliant front end application to read and write data contained in DataFlex format files similarly to any other ODBC enabled database.

FlexODBC works by accepting SQL commands through the ODBC interface, then converting those calls to navigational commands to the DataFlex DBMS and returning record sets that qualify for the query results. This driver is not a Client/Server product, and navigates the data files directly.

What can I do with FlexODBC?
FlexODBC opens up the DataFlex files created by thousands of custom programs to the new world of database connectivity. In the same way that Windows has created an environment where all applications have a similar look and feel, ODBC drivers make all database formats look the same.

A user in Microsoft Office can use Excel to pull company accounting or invoice information directly into a spreadsheet and create a chart. Microsoft Word can do a customer mail merge directly from DataFlex files. Crystal Reports users can create multi-file reports from DataFlex data. Microsoft Access or Borland Delphi can be used to merge DataFlex data with other data sources to produce complex reports, or to run mass file updates based on multiple criteria.

New Features in Version 4
FlexODBC 4.0 now utilizes the new Data Access v2.1 API and supports DataFlex versions 2.3b right thru to DataFlex 2017.

Our goal with this release was to make it easy to evaluate, cheaper to purchase, easy to order, easy to install and easy to use, and we now no longer count concurrent users so you will never have "Maximum Number of Users Exceeded" errors anymore!!!

Along with this new release also comes many new changes, from its functionality and looks to the way it is registered and sold now. Besides the ability to handle the extended filelist.cfg (4096 files) and new file header format, FlexODBC 4.0 supports driver based databases such as Pervasive.SQL, Microsoft SQL Server, etc.

In other words, applications using FlexODBC can now continue to work when the back end database is migrated from the DataFlex Embedded DBMS to server environments, like MS SQL Server, without any changes. FlexODBC v4 just needs to be able to locate the .int files and a licensed Data Access Connectivity Kit for MS SQL driver (for this given example).

You can also now speed up combo boxes in applications by limiting the number of rows returned from a SQL query by using TOP, for example:

SELECT TOP 20 * FROM customer

retrieves only the first 20 customers and not every customer in the table.

Other Key Features

• ODBC Data Source Administrator Version 3.0 compliant
• ODBC Level 2 compliant - allows the use of MS ADO 2.1 & MS SQL 7/2000
• Windows XP Professional O/S Support
• between() operator
• add/drop indexed, reindex
• grant/revoke security rights to the table level
• faster performance
• outer join support
• Nested sub-selects & "exists", for example
  
  

SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE
     WHERE NAME IN (SELECT NAME FROM EMPLOYEE)

SELECT OWNERFIRSTNAME, OWNERLASTNAME
     FROM ANTIQUEOWNERS
     WHERE EXISTS (SELECT * FROM ANTIQUES WHERE ITEM = 'Chair')

This is a list of all of the SQL functions now supported in Release 4:-

FlexODBC String Functions

ASCII(string_exp)
CHAR(code)
CONCAT(string_exp1, string_exp2)
DIFFERENCE(string_exp1, string_exp2)
INSERT(string_exp1, start, length, string_exp2)
LCASE(string_exp)
LEFT(string_exp, count)
LENGTH(string_exp)
LOCATE(string_exp1, string_exp2[, start])
LTRIM(string_exp)
REPEAT(string_exp, count)
RIGHT(string_exp, count)
RTRIM(string_exp)
SOUNDEX(string_exp) - Returns a character string representing the sound of the words in string_exp.
SPACE(count)
SUBSTRING(string_exp, start, length)
UCASE(string_exp)

FlexODBC Numeric Functions

ABS(numeric_exp)
ACOS(float_exp)
ASIN(float_exp)
ATAN(float_exp)
ATAN2(float_exp1, float_exp2)
CEILING(numeric_exp)
COS(float_exp)
COT(float_exp)
DEGREES(numeric_exp)
EXP(float_exp)
FLOOR(numeric_exp)
LOG(float_exp)
LOG10(float_exp)
MOD(integer_exp1, integer_exp2)
PI()
POWER(numeric_exp, integer_exp)
RADIANS(numeric_exp)
RAND([integer_exp])
ROUND(numeric_exp, integer_exp)
SIGN(numeric_exp)
SIN(float_exp)
SQRT(float_exp)
TAN(float_exp)
TRUNCATE(numeric_exp, integer_exp)

FlexODBC Time and Date Functions

CURDATE()
CURTIME()
DAYNAME(date_exp)
DAYOFMONTH(date_exp)
DAYOFWEEK(date_exp)
DAYOFYEAR(date_exp)
HOUR(time_exp)
MINUTE(time_exp)
MONTH(date_exp)
MONTHNAME(date_exp)
NOW()
QUARTER(date_exp)
SECOND(time_exp)
TIMESTAMPADD(interval, integer_exp, timestamp_exp)
TIMESTAMPDIFF(interval, timestamp_exp1, timestamp_exp2)
WEEK(date_exp)
YEAR(date_exp)

FlexODBC System Functions

DATABASE()
IFNULL(exp, value)
USER()

Functions use the following {fn functionname(parameters)} syntax, for example:

SELECT {fn LEFT("Name", 5)} AS "Left 5", "Name" FROM Customer

What is ODBC?
ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) is a specification designed by Microsoft to allow Windows applications to access multiple data sources through a single method with no regard for various file formats. SQL (Structured Query Language) is used as the method for accessing data through ODBC. Vendors of ODBC drivers (like this one) follow the specifications for ODBC so that any ODBC compliant application can access the data available through the driver. ODBC compliant applications include: Microsoft Access, Word, Excel, Powerbuilder, Borland Delphi, Crystal Reports XI (Professional, Developer and Server Editions), Visual Basic and hundreds of others.

FlexODBC Evaluation Version
The evaluation edition of the FlexODBC driver will only operate for a period of 30 days, beyond which it will fail. This does not affect registered users. Should your evaluation copy expire, you need to purchase a FlexODBC CDKey Code.

How does the evaluation copy work?
If the product is unregistered, it is limited to 100 records searched per query in evaluation mode. If a query returns no result, it may be that no match was found within the first 100 records. Try a more simple query instead.

System Requirements:
Minimum CPU required: Pentium II processor 450 MHz or better
Minimum memory required: 64 MB
Minimum hard disk space required: 30 MB
Operating system version: Windows 98SE/2000/ME/NT 4.0/XP/Windows 7/8/8.1
DataFlex version 2.3b or higher (includes DataFlex 2014)