To: dbi-announce@isc.org, dbi-dev@isc.org, dbi-users@isc.org,
        informix-list@iiug.org, descarte@symbolstone.org
Subject: ANNOUNCE: DBD::Informix Version 0.97001 released

The next release of DBD::Informix, version 0.97001, was uploaded to
CPAN on 2000-01-19.  It will be available worldwide in a day or three.

**** This version is not intended for general use.  The differences between
**** it and the official 0.95 version are in this Announce file, the
**** BugReport script, and in the handling of the Informix.pm.PL file.  It
**** is also here partly to test whether CPAN/PAUSE will accept the
**** Informix-style 1.00.PC1X1 version numbering.  However, it won't cause
**** you any damage either, so if this is what you got downloaded, don't
**** fuss and please enjoy.  Normal service will be resumed as soon as
**** possible.

**** Note that none of the records for any of the 0.96 and 0.97 releases
**** will appear in the official 1.00.PC1 ChangeLog.  These are purely
**** experimental versions, but learning how to beat PAUSE and CPAN
**** requires lots of (slow) testing with the results being semi-public.
**** Further, these versions will *all* be removed when the official
**** 1.00 release is ready, or very shortly thereafter, if they are not
**** removed beforehand.  Do not rely on them.  Do not report problems
**** with them.

DBD::Informix is the driver code that enables Perl 5.004 or 5.005 to access
Informix databases via the DBI module (you'll need the code for both DBI
version 1.02 or later and DBD::Informix).  You should upgrade to at least
version Perl 5.004_04.  The DBD::Informix and DBI code is available for
download via:

http://www.perl.org/CPAN/modules/by-category/07_Database_Interfaces/DBD
http://www.symbolstone.org/technology/perl/DBI

   *******************************************************************
   **    When you successfully build DBD::Informix v0.97001, please    **
   **      use the ItWorks script to report your configuration      **
   *******************************************************************

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                GREAT NEWS
Informix will be officially supporting DBD::Informix starting with the next
release.  And Informix R&D engineers will be doing the coding.  So, with
the next release, which will probably be 1.00 (because software companies
do not, I'm told, release 0.xy versions of products), will be supported by
Informix.  With the 1.00 version, if you have support for your Informix
products, then you will be able to get help for DBD::Informix too.  If you
do not have Informix support, then you will have to continue to use the
mailing lists.  I will no longer be doing all the coding etc.  I will be
the product manager so I'll still be an advisor to the people handling
DBD::Informix.  And please be patient until the supported release is
available, and be patient with the Tech Support people who will have to
learn how to deal with this product.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you have Perl configured correctly and a good Internet connection,
you should be able to install this version with:

    perl -MCPAN -e 'install Bundle::DBD::Informix'

This worked on RedHat 6.1 Linux using Informix ClientSDK 2.40 (ESQL/C
9.30.UC1) and SE 7.24.UC5 -- yes, the setup was used for testing perverse
combinations of products -- once a custom copy of Perl was built and
installed, and once h2ph was run in /usr/include (*.h, sys/*.h, bits/*.h,
gnu/*.h), and once an an empty stdarg.h was converted with h2ph too.  Note,
these are required for the pre-requisites and not by DBD::Informix per se.
If you have not configured CPAN before, use:

    perl -MCPAN -e 'install CPAN'   # This will ask you questions
    perl -MCPAN -e shell <<!        # This will default some answers
    install Bundle::libnet
    install LWP
    install Bundle::DBD::Informix
    !

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

New in release 0.95:
* Trying to get to a state where release 1.00 is sensible.  Hence, DBI
  compliance has been an issue that has been addressed, not necessarily
  very thoroughly.
* Preliminary support for XPS (8.x) database servers.  Versions of XPS
  prior to 8.30 do not support blobs or stored procedures.
* New $dbh attributes for XPS support - ix_ServerVersion, ix_BlobSupport
  and ix_StoredProcedures.
* Various extra documents in Notes sub-directory.
* No longer records INFORMIXDIR and INFORMIXSERVER in Informix.pm during
  build; PAUSE/CPAN was confused by absence of Informix.pm file.
* Another attempt at providing Bundle::DBD::Informix support.
* Basic support for long table and column (and owner) names.
* Use absolute pathnames for shared libraries unless the environment
  variable DBD_INFDORMIX_RELOCATABLE_INFORMIXDIR is set.  Should mean that
  LD_LIBRARY_PATH et al are not required at run time, which should improve
  support for web servers.  INFORMIXDIR and INFORMIXSERVER must be set,
  though.
* New $sth attribute ix_Fetchable indicates whether you can (and therefore
  must) do fetches on this statement handle.
* Attribute ix_AutoErrorReport is officially obsolete.  You get a warning
  that you are using an obsolete attribute.  In future, you won't.
* Attribute ix_StatementText is deprecated; use the DBI standard
  attribute Statement instead.
* Add ItWorks shell script to report working versions in a standard manner.
* The format of the working versions file has been completely reworked.
  The file includes most of the entries received from field users during
  the 'census' in November 1999, plus miscellaneous other reports from
  people who have sent in details of working versions.  This would have
  been much easier for everyone if the ItWorks script had available for the
  census.
* DBD::Informix versions 0.56, 0.57, 0.59 have been removed from CPAN.
  Versions 0.55, 0.58 still exist only because they are the ones in the
  Perl Resource Kits; you are strongly encouraged to upgrade to 0.95.
  Versions 0.60 and upwards still exist because they are almost current,
  but you are encouraged to move to 0.95 (especially from 0.61_02).

Still to do:
* Investigate whether using sqlda structures in place of SQL descriptors
  makes a significant difference to the performance of DBD::Informix.
  Note that although this has previously been described as a necessary
  precursor to providing support for Informix-ESQL/C v4.x or earlier
  versions, there are actually no longer any plans to provide support
  for ESQL/C versions prior to 5.00 in DBD::Informix.
* Ensure that NT support works more nearly out of the box.
* Support for LongReadLen et al, maybe.

Next release: 1.00
* This should, with luck, have full IUS support, and decent support for
  builds on NT.  And it should conform fairly closely to the DBI
  specification.

Apologies:
* I may have omitted to include contributions from some people in this
  version.  Even worse, I may have accidentally failed to attribute some
  changes.  If you feel slighted, let me know.
* I wish the IUS support was more complete, but I found omissions in the
  Informix documentation which side-tracked me instead of allowing me to
  actually code DBD::Informix.
* The documentation has not been overhauled as thoroughly as I'd like.

Let me know of problems, as usual, and solutions too when you have them.

Enjoy!

Jonathan Leffler (j.leffler@acm.org) #include <disclaimer.h>

PS: Read the README file.  Also read the Informix.Licence file.

@(#)$Id: Announce,v 97.2 2000/01/19 21:45:52 jleffler Exp $
