The Database Independent Abstraction Layer for C is a C-written framework that offers a database-independent abstraction layer.
One significant feature of libdbi is its database-level abstraction, where programs don't need to deal with the arbitrary interfaces and peculiarities of each database library. Instead, libdbi handles all the details, and programmers only have to specify what they want the database to do. Additionally, the code written with libdbi is modular, meaning that it is not tied to any particular database server. This feature allows effortless database switching or lets users specify their own database settings.
Another key feature of libdbi is its clean interface. The software has ample documentation describing libdbi and its well-thought-out object-oriented design. Moreover, programmers only need to learn libdbi's syntax once, rather than learning each database library's syntax.
Libdbi is a lifesaver for programmers who want to reduce errors in their code. It does "The Right Thing," as opposed to some quick hack that is not effective. This saves programmers hundreds of dollars in debugging time. Libdbi also uses constructs that pack multiple function calls into one line, saving time and reducing the occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Drivers are another significant feature in libdbi. The dynamic linking used by the software allows driver authors to license their drivers however they please. They are not restricted to the GNU General Public License (GPL) or GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL). Drivers are easy to write, and no special installation is necessary.
Error handling is another feature in libdbi that helps reduce errors in code. Instead of checking every single database call for errors, libdbi provides the option of registering an error handler callback, like a signal handler. This feature helps eliminate errors that programmers may "forget" to check.
Moreover, libdbi helps programmers focus on writing clever code instead of reinventing the wheel with their own single-use and featureless database interfaces. libdbi is a comprehensive solution that maintains drivers for several databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and mSQL.
Finally, the latest release of libdbi (as of this writing) features improved error handling and reporting, as well as three new string-escaping functions.
Version 0.8.3: N/A