Database utility idea/request

You know what would be a really useful database utility?

A proxy JDBC driver, that records all the SQL statements that go through it, and will tell you what databases and database versions they'll work on.

So, you just plug this JDBC driver into your existing application, run through the app (hopefully with your already written automated tests) and it will give you a complete report on what databases it will work on, and what Oracle/DB2/MSSQL/whatever specific SQL you've used

Does anything like this exist?

The only vaguely similar thing I know of is the SQL validator at http://developer.mimer.se/validator/index.htm

Since the hard part would be working out what's supported in what databases, once you've done it for Java JDBC it should be fairly easy to do for .NET or anything else.

Inigo
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Hey, the universal SQL parser is on my list too!  Right after this great idea I had for a self-correcting regular expression parser, like if you type a misspelled word in MSWord it'll suggest stuff out of its database!  Oh, and a programming language for nonprogrammers who didn't graduate high school, something that's simple and easy to read, maybe even just drag-and-drop, but at least as powerful as VB!

Funny thing is, I've had requests for each of those (or more complex things which reduce to those) multiple times in the past.  Not only did I get to downgrade my technical skill estimate for the person requesting, but all the fellow programmers who said "Wow, great idea!" and immediately started trying to design one.

I'm not saying these things can't be done of course -- all three would be interesting, as academic exercises -- I'm just saying that in 99.999% of cases they aren't worth it.

Mikayla
Friday, February 27, 2004

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