>>>>> The client needs to know the ODS version when it comes to what
>>>>> particular features the database in question supports. For example,
>>>>> Firebird 2.1 can open ODS 11.0 databases, but features like monitoring
>>>>> tables, database triggers, ... are available in ODS 11.1 or higher
>>>>> database only.
>>>>>
>>>> The correct approach would be to have an info call, where driver would
>>>> be able to query database capabilities and not contain hardcoded
>>>> if/then/elses based on ODS and engine version.
>>>>
>>> Right, but I guess the info call isn't available, correct?
>>>
>> It isn't ;-)
>>
>> And I would rather have a simple SQL statement that would return
>> these things than an API call.
>>
>>
>
> That strikes me as a reasonable request. There are system tables to
> describe metadata, why not a pseudo table to expose engine capabilities.

Yeah. Oracle (and probably others as well) is pretty good in that with
some system views. Since Oracle10g you even get some statistics to see
if a particular feature has been used at all. Very useful for license
consolidation, e.g. to get an idea, whether a downgrade from Enterprise
to Standard is doable from a *used* feature POV. Oops, sorry. Different
world. Full stop. ;-)


--
Best Regards,
Thomas Steinmaurer
LogManager Series - Logging/Auditing Suites supporting
InterBase, Firebird, Advantage Database, MS SQL Server and
NexusDB V2
Upscene Productions
http://www.upscene.com
My blog:
http://blog.upscene.com/thomas/