DBD::Sprite 0.59

DBD::Sprite is a Perl extension for DBI, providing database emulation via flat files.

SYNOPSIS

use DBI;
$dbh = DBI->connect("DBI:Sprite:spritedb",'user','password')
or die "Cannot connect: " . $DBI::errstr;
$sth = $dbh->prepare("CREATE TABLE a (id INTEGER, name CHAR(10))")
or die "Cannot prepare: " . $dbh->errstr();
$sth->execute() or die "Cannot execute: " . $sth->errstr();
$sth->finish();
$dbh->disconnect();

DBD::Sprite is a DBI extension module adding database emulation via flat-files to Perl's database-independent database interface. Unlike other DBD::modules, DBD::Sprite does not require you to purchase or obtain a database. Every thing you need to prototype database-independent applications using Perl and DBI are included here. You will, however, probably wish to obtain a real database, such as "mysql", for your production and larger data needs. This is because emulating databases and SQL with flat text files gets very slow as the size of your "database" grows to a non-trivial size (a few dozen records or so per table).

DBD::Sprite is built upon an old Perl module called "Sprite", written by Shishir Gurdavaram. This code was used as a starting point. It was completly reworked and many new features were added, producing a module called "JSprite.pm" (Jim Turner's Sprite). This was then merged in to DBI::DBD to produce what you are installing now. (DBD::Sprite). JSprite.pm is included in this module as a separate file, and is required.
Many thanks go to Mr. Gurdavaram.

The main advantage of DBD::Sprite is the ability to develop and test prototype applications on personal machines (or other machines which do not have an Oracle licence or some other "mainstream" database) before releasing them on "production" machines which do have a "real" database. This can all be done with minimal or no changes to your Perl code.
Another advantage of DBD::Sprite is that you can use Perl's regular expressions to search through your data. Maybe, someday, more "real" databases will include this feature too!

DBD::Sprite provides the ability to emulate basic database tables and SQL calls via flat-files. The primary use envisioned for this to permit website developers who can not afford to purchase an Oracle licence to prototype and develop Perl applications on their own equipment for later hosting at larger customer sites where Oracle is used.

DBD::Sprite attempts to do things in as database-independent manner as possible, but where differences occurr, JSprite most closely emmulates Oracle, for example "sequences/autonumbering". JSprite uses tiny one-line text files called "sequence files" (.seq). and "seq_file_name.NEXTVAL" function to insert into autonumbered fields. The reason for this is that the Author works in an Oracle shop and wrote this module to allow himself to work on code on his PC, and machines which did not have Oracle on them, since obtaining Oracle licences was sometimes time-consuming.

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Requirements:

· Perl