Data Access Components for Oracle (ODAC) Review

Summary

Data Access Components for Oracle (ODAC) is a library of components that provides native connectivity to Oracle from Delphi, C++Builder, Lazarus (and Free Pascal) on Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android, Linux, and FreeBSD for both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. The ODAC library is designed to help programmers develop faster and more native Oracle database applications.

This solution, is an efficient native alternative to the Borland Database Engine (BDE) and standard dbExpress driver. It provides both possibility of connection to Oracle by means of native Oracle data access and direct access to Oracle without Oracle Client.

History

The first version of the Data Access Components for Oracle were released by Devart in February, 1998. For now, the latest version of the ODAC is 9.3 which were released in May, 2014.

Feature list

General usability

• Direct access to server data. Does not require installation of other data provider layers (such as BDE and ODBC)

• Interface compatible with standard data access methods, such as BDE and ADO

• VCL, LCL and FMX versions of library available

• Separated run-time and GUI specific parts allow you to create pure console applications such as CGI

• Unicode and national charset support

Network and connectivity

• In Direct mode does not require Oracle client software and works directly through TCP/IP

• Disconnected Model with automatic connection control for working with data offline

• Local Failover for detecting connection loss and implicitly reexecuting certain operations

• Support for setting connection timeout values for Direct mode

Compatibility

• Full support of the latest versions of Oracle

• Support for all Oracle data types

• Compatible with all IDE versions starting with Delphi 5 and C++Builder 5, except Delphi 8, and with Free Pascal

• Includes provider for UniDAC Standard Edition

• Wide reporting component support, including support for InfoPower, ReportBuilder, FastReport

• Support of all standard and third-party visual data-aware controls

• Allows you to use Professional Edition of Delphi and C++Builder to develop client/server applications.

Oracle technology support

• Oracle Advanced Queuing support

• Distributed transactions support with TOraTransaction component

• Oracle package support

• Support for Oracle alerts and pipes with TOraAlerter component

• Support for Direct Path interface with TOraLoader component

• Support for DBMS_TRACE package and SQLTrace functionality with TOraTrace

• Support for Oracle Change notifications functionality of Oracle 10g with TOraChangeNotification component

• Oracle Transparent Application Failover support

• Oracle 9i scrollable cursor support

• Multiple Oracle Homes support

• Oracle sequence support

• DML array operations support

• Direct lob access support

• Temporary LOB management routines

• Temporary LOBs for updating LOB fields

• OCI Connection Pooling, Proxy Session Pooling, and Statement Caching

• Oracle optimizer control

• ProxySession support

• External Procedure support

• CLIENT_IDENTIFIER support

Oracle data types

• Oracle Object (including NOT FINAL objects) types support

• Nested table support

• PL/SQL table support

• XMLTYPE datatype support

• Oracle 9i TIMESTAMP and INTERVAL data types support

Performance

• High overall performance

• Fast controlled fetch of large data blocks

• Optimized string data storing

• Advanced connection pooling

• High performance of applying cached updates with batches

• Caching of calculated and lookup fields

• Expanded fields in TSmartQuery

• Fast Locate in a sorted DataSet

• Preparing of user-defined update statements

Local data storage operations

• Database-independent data storage with TVirtualTable component

• CachedUpdates operation mode

• Local sorting and filtering, including by calculated and lookup fields

• Local master/detail relationship

• Master/detail relationship in CachedUpdates mode

Data access and data management automation

• Automatic data updating with TOraQuery, TSmartQuery and TOraTable components

• Automatic record refreshing and locking

• Automatic query preparing

• SmartRefresh option allows you to synchronize two or more datasets automatically

• Support for ftWideMemo field type in Delphi 2006 and higher

Extended data access functionality

• Separate component for executing SQL and PL/SQL blocks

• Simplified access to table data with TOraTable component

• Ability to retrieve metadata information with TOraMetaData component

• BLOB compression support

• Support for using macros in SQL

• NonBlocking mode allows background executing and fetching data in separate threads

• Ability to customize update commands by attaching external components to TOraUpdateSQL objects

• Deferred detail DataSet refresh in master/detail relationships

• LargeInt fields support

• MIDAS technology support

• OraDataAdapter component for WinForms and ASP.NET applications

• Ability to customize Oracle error messages with TOraErrorHandler

Data exchange

• Transferring data between all types of TDataSet descendants with TCRBatchMove component

• Data export and import to/from XML (ADO format)

• Ability to synchronize positions in different DataSets

Script execution

• Advanced script execution features with TOraScript component

• Support for executing individual statements in scripts

• Support for executing huge scripts stored in files with dynamic loading

• Ability to use standard SQL*Plus tool syntax in scripts

SQL Execution monitoring

• Extended SQL tracing capabilities provided by TOraSQLMonitor component and dbMonitor

• Borland SQL Monitor support

• Ability to send messages to dbMonitor from any point in your program

Visual extensions

• Includes source code of enhanced TCRDBGrid data-aware grid control

• Customizable connection dialog

• Cursor changes during non-blocking execution

Design-time enhancements

• DataSet Manager tool to control DataSet instances in the project

• Oracle Package Wizard that simplifies working with PL/SQL Packages

• Advanced design-time component and property editors

• Integration with OraDeveloper Tools for browsing database schemas, manipulating database objects and visual building of queries

• Automatic design-time component linking

• OraTools Add-in extends design-time capabilities and lets you build and test queries, design and debug PL/SQL blocks and explore database schemas

• Easy migration from BDE with Migration Wizard

• More convenient data source setup with the TOraDataSource component

• Syntax highlighting in design-time editors

Product clarity

• Complete documentation sets

• A large amount of helpful demo projects

Licensing and support

• Included annual ODAC Subscription with Priority Support

• Licensed royalty-free per developer, per team, or per site

To learn more visit the overview page - http://www.devart.com/odac/

Installation

To install the tool, it is necessary to double-click the exe file and follow the prompts in the wizard. The tool can be upgraded using the built-in wizard. If a new version is available on the Devart website, you are automatically prompted about it when you start the tool.

Availability

Data Access Components for Oracle comes in three editions: Standard, Professional and Professional Edition with source code

You can find the detailed edition comparison table here - http://www.devart.com/odac/editions.html

Also it can be registered under three types of licenses. You can get a Single License for one developer, a Team License for up to four developers, and a Site License for an unlimited number of developers in a single company.

Benefits

• 30-day fully-functional product trial

• 30-day money-back guarantee policy

• Volume discounts free 1-year subscription for updates and technical support

Product support

If you have any problems with the product or questions or suggestions concerning it, you can send an e-mail to its developers or write them at the company forum, and you will be answered shortly.