Self-updating Application with SHA1 check and FireDAC

- or basic self-improvement with room for improvement.

There are many ways to keep the users windows applications updated, like pushing them out via enterprise distribution setups, click-once, Squirrel (not the scripting language or the animal). But what if I just want the basics - and as simple as possible?

Disclaimer: This is not a post about security - even if SHA1 is mentioned - this is solely intended as an example on how an update process could be done in a controlled environment - like in-house distribution.

Fallback for non-installed SQL Server Native Clients

- or how to survive in a world where you are not in control of everything.

Today I did deploy a small application that did connect to a MS SQL Server, so a driver was needed, and I do prefer to follow the recommendations on using the latest native drivers - and I also try and avoid ODBC as the plague.

What had slipped my mind until the first test user got an error - was that in a plain Windows installation only the "old" ODBC SQL Server driver exists - and since I really didn't want to involve the whole IT support/operation/packaging scenario - to get the SQL Server Native Client 11.0 client pushed out to some users around the world - who also would be lacking admin rights, so that they would not be able to install the drivers themselves - I had to include a fallback option.

I refuse still to understand why the newer Windows versions keep only having the old "SQL Server" ODBC driver and not also include a "native" one, when that is what is been recommended over and over again.

Why "browser" clients not always are a good idea

- or why you could/should consider a n-tier setup, spiced up with a briefcase model - part nil.

I haven't really been able to see the revelation in browser clients - and I am not quite sure why anyone would always consider this as a good option.

It might look tempting from an IT operations standpoint and maybe also from a management view - but would they have a chance to know - it is the users experience and productivity that counts - and that is what we all should care about.

So I would say that if the job the client needs to handle is comparable to an old VT100 dumb terminal - then browser it is.

Get to know your database

- or how to make your database applications shine.

Once in a while I stumble across fellow developers or applications, that could shine by doing things a bit differently and adding extra skills to their tool set - a change of focus might be the only thing that is needed.

One example is the art of refactoring, another is some basic database knowledge.

I have several times meet people and companies who develop business application that depend heavily on database access - that uses their chosen RDBMS just as a bucket.

Let me give some examples of "performance smells" - you might easily expand the list, and please do in the comments.