Title: The (lack of) future of desktop database development
Question: The future of desltop database development
Answer:
Until the very near future you can develop a Delphi desktop database application by using the Access Database file format (*.mdb) and ADO. You need a (legal) copy of Access to create the Access database, but after that you can distribute your desktop application royalty free.
In Client-Server-land it is a different piece of cake: to use your application legally your client has to buy licenses from Microsoft, Oracle ... Unless your client already uses those products, the cash involved with the buying of the licenses is often near or more than they have to pay you. Of course there is freeware like MySQL, but that is difficult to sell at this very moment to most of our clients.
Some time ago Micro$oft must have realized that they could make quite a lot of additional money in the desktop segment of the software market. How did they proceed after that?
Firstly, they removed the desktop part from ADO 2.6, being the current version. To keep developers sleeping, they said they that part is still available separately.
The second step is at hand: the silent death of Access. In the Office versions to be released this year, Access will be replaced by Personal SQL-Server. The difference with Access is, that Personal SQL-server is NOT a file format, but - like Personal Oracle - an application. The result of that is, that you are NOT allowed to distribute your desktop database applications royalty free with the database in the CD. End of an era!
Some of you will - even now - not be worried, thinking they will keep using Access or one of the other existing file formats like Paradox, Foxpro... There are two points to consider:
1. I doubt that your clients will accept a 'legacy'-labeled (polite word for inadequate) file format;
2. The phasing out of the desktop part of ADO. I even doubt that the new database engine of Borland will support those formats in future.
At the very moment your application will be found running with a Personal SQL-server database without a license either you or your client will be prosecuted. Most likely you! Remember that poster with Uncle Sam with the finger pointing at you and the words 'We Want You', well replace Uncle Sam with Bill Gates and you have the answer of the question in the title of this article!