SQL Tools -- Standard vs. Pro

What Features are included in
SQL Tools Standard and Pro?

The Standard Version

SQL Tools Standard includes all of the basic functions that you will need to create PowerBASIC and Visual Basic programs that can read and modify SQL databases. It allows a PB or VB program to have...

One or two databases open at the same time, and
Each database can use one or two SQL statements at a time.

Several basic "Info" functions are provided by the Standard version...

Database Info
Database Attributes
Table Info
Table Column Info
Result Column Info.

The Database Attribute function alone provides well over 250 different values.

A powerful set of Error Management functions is also provided, including
Two Trace Modes and an "ignore specified error" system.

The Pro Version

SQL Tools Pro provides all of the Standard functionality plus a large number of advanced features, including:

Up to 256 concurrent databases
Up to 256 concurrent statements per database

Manual Commit/Rollback of Transactions
Stored Procedures (pre-compiled SQL statements)
Batched SQL Statements
Asynchronous (Background) Execution of SQL Statements
Enhanced handling of date-time values
Bookmarks
Automatic Row-Number Tracking
Datasource Management Tools (creating, compacting, etc.)
Bound Statement Parameters, including Long values and arrays
Relative Fetches
Support for MultiRow (Block) Cursors
Bulk Operations
Positioned Operations
Named Cursors
Connection Pooling
Multithreaded Operation (if supported by your language)
Low level SQL/ODBC Diagnostics

Many different Info (catalog) functions are included with the Pro version, including:

Driver Info
Datasource Info
Data Type Info
Table Statistics
Table/Column Privilege Info
Unique Column Info
Primary Column Info
AutoColumn Info
Index Info
Foreign Key Info
Stored Procedure Info

...and more! The Pro version even allows you to access low level API functions that require ODBC Handles and memory pointers to SQL Tools data buffers. (But only if you want to. The use of handles is never required.)

For a category-by-category breakdown of the features that are provided by the Standard and Pro versions of SQL Tools, see Database Functions.

PLEASE NOTE: All of the SQL Tools functions that are described here are subject to the limitations of the database and ODBC Driver that you choose to use. Most modern drivers provide most of these functions, but Perfect Sync can not guarantee that every feature listed here will be available to every SQL Tools program.

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UPDATED 29 NOV 2006 EP