RE: Java vs .NET was: RPGIII compiler vs Visual Basic

>The difference is that in JDBC the driver is a string: in 
>.NET you have to actually code for the particular class. 

No you don't (have to code). The following is completely soft-coded.
Change entries in App.Config and you move from iSeries.NET driver to
Oracle to OLEDB. And if you upcast the connection you can use
type-specific methods and properties (See the use of JobName below).
Obviously if you upcast you're responsible for making sure it's a valid
upcast, you can't case a SqlConnection to an iDB2Connection.

---Begin Code---
string sCS = ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["ConnectionString"];
string sAssemblyName =
ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["AssemblyName"];
string sTypeName = ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings["TypeName"];
        
IDbConnection cn = (IDbConnection)
AppDomain.CurrentDomain.CreateInstanceFromAndUnwrap(sAssemblyName,
sTypeName); 
cn.ConnectionString = sCS;

IDbCommand cm = cn.CreateCommand();
cm.CommandText = "select fld1,fld2 from c";
cn.Open();
IDataReader dr = cm.ExecuteReader();

while (dr.Read())
{
        //Do something useful
}

Console.WriteLine(((iDB2Connection) cn).JobName);

cn.Close();

---End Code---

---Begin Code---

<appSettings>
 <add key="ConnectionString" value="Data Source=sol;User
ID=WaldenL;Password=secret"/>
 <add key="AssemblyName" value="C:\Program Files\IBM\Client
Access\IBM.Data.DB2.iSeries.dll"/>
 <add key="TypeName" value="IBM.Data.DB2.iSeries.iDB2Connection"/>
</appSettings>

---End Code---

-Walden
------------
Walden H Leverich III
Tech Software
(516) 627-3800 x11
WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.TechSoftInc.com

Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
(Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)