tdsclient

* TDS Generic Provider

<ul>
	<li>ADO.NET Provider for older Sybase and Microsoft SQL Server databases</li>

	<li>Exists in namespace Mono.Data.TdsClient and assembly Mono.Data.TdsClient</li>
	
	<li>Created by Tim Coleman</li>
	
	<li>Used the <a href="http://www.freetds.org/">FreeTDS</a> and 
	<a href="http://jtds.sourceforge.net/">jTDS</a> projects as resources.</li>
	
	<li>Implemented in 100% C#</li>
	
	<li>Is similar to the Mono.Data.SybaseClient and System.Data.SqlClient providers.</li>
	
	<li>Requires the assembly Mono.Data.Tds.dll which implements the TDS protocol in 100% C#.</li>
	
	<li>Uses TDS Protocol Version 4.2 by default</li>
	
	<li>Bugs with Mono or the data provider should be reported 
	in Mono's Bugzilla <a href="http://bugzilla.ximian.com/">here</a>.  If you
	do not have Bugzilla user account, it is free 
	and easy to 
	create one <a href="http://bugzilla.ximian.com/createaccount.cgi">here</a>.</li>

</ul>

** Current Status


<ul>
	<li>Only builds on Windows currently due to mcs does not support modules and mcs
	has problems with code that is internal.</li>
	
	<li>Able to connect to Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase databases</li>
	
	<li>SQL commands can be executed
	via ExecuteNonQuery() of a TdsCommand.</li>
	
	<li>SQL aggregates can be executed and a single row and single column
	result can be retrieved via ExecuteScalar() of a TdsCommand</li>
	
	<li>SQL queries can be executed via ExecuteReader() and results 
	can be retrieved via TdsDataReader.</li>
	
	<li>a DataTable with schema info about a result can be gotten via GetSchemaTable()
	in a TdsDataReader</li>
	
	<li>Data can be filled in a DataTable in a DataSet via a TdsDataAdapter</li>
</ul>

** Action plan

<ul>
	<li>Connection timeouts is being developed now.</li>

	<li>TODO</li>
</ul>

** Testing

<ul>
	<li>Have a working mono and mcs installed</li>
	
	<li>Have access to a Sybase or Microsoft SQL Server database 
	or either download it:
		<ul>
			<li><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/sql/default.asp">Microsoft SQL Server</a></li>
			<li><a href="http://www.sybase.com/downloads">Sybase</a></li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>If using Microsoft SQL Server 2000, make sure
	you are using at least Service Pack 3 for Microsoft SQL Server 2000</li>
	
	<li>Located at mcs/class/System.Data/Test is a test for System.Data.SqlClient
	named SqlTest.cs and you could use this as a basis for your test.</li>
	
		<li>Has a connection string format:
<pre>
 Server=hostname;Database=databaseName;User ID=userid;Password=password
</pre>
	</li>
	<li>The Server part can be used two ways:
		<ul>
			<li>hostname - "Server=MYHOST"</li>
			<li>hostname,port - "Server=MYHOST,1533"</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	
	<li>C# Example:
<pre>
 using System;
 using System.Data;
 using Mono.Data.TdsClient;
 
 public class Test 
 {
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
       string connectionString = 
          "Server=localhost;" +
          "Database=pubs;" +
          "User ID=myuserid;" +
          "Password=mypassword;";
       IDbConnection dbcon;
       dbcon = new TdsConnection(connectionString);
       dbcon.Open();
       IDbCommand dbcmd = dbcon.CreateCommand();
       string sql = 
           "SELECT fname, lname " +
           "FROM employee";
       dbcmd.CommandText = sql;
       IDataReader reader = dbcmd.ExecuteReader();
       while(reader.Read()) {
            string FirstName = (string) reader["fname"];
            string LastName = (string) reader["lname"];
            Console.WriteLine("Name: " + 
                 FirstName + " " + LastName);
       }
       // clean up
       reader.Close();
       reader = null;
       dbcmd.Dispose();
       dbcmd = null;
       dbcon.Close();
       dbcon = null;
    }
 }
</pre>
	</li>
	<li>Building C# Example:
	<ul>
		<li>Save the example to a file, such as, TestExample.cs</li>
		<li>Build on Linux:
<pre>
	mcs TestExample.cs -r System.Data.dll \
	    -r Mono.Data.TdsClient.dll
</pre>
		</li>
		<li>Build on Windows via Cygwin:
<pre>
	mono C:/cygwin/home/MyHome/mono/install/bin/mcs.exe \
	     TestExample.cs \
	     -lib:C:/cygwin/home/MyHome/mono/install/lib \
	     -r System.Data.dll -r Mono.Data.TdsClient.dll
</pre>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>Running the Example:
<pre>
mono TestExample.exe
</pre>
	</li>
</ul>