Paradigma Software recently released version 2.5 of Valentina, the ultra-fast database system. Valentina for Revolution 2.5 includes some powerful, new features that let you concentrate on optimizing your project by offloading processes to the powerful Valentina 2.5 database kernel.

An Ultra Fast Introduction to Valentina

If you have heard of Valentina before, you've also probably heard that it is really fast - and that some of the numeric claims seem hard to believe. You can believe it! In the history of databases, there have been many different database models. Three of the most recent are relational databases, object-relational databases and pure object-oriented databases. Some early work in database research produced what is known as a network database. It wasn't a perfect model but in many ways, it provided a linked list metaphor that in many ways resembled the way the World Wide Web works. Ruslan Zasukhin, the creator of Valentina, built an entirely new system that leveraged the linked navigation metaphor of early databases with an extremely modern, object-relational paradigm - one that you can interact with using database knowledge you already have and methods for moving data in and out that are standards: SQL, XML and native development environment calls. The difference? You can imagine that as databases grow from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions of records, the entire system slows down - and it really slows down across a network! The Valentina model is not seriously impacted as its competitors are - as a database grows, the difference in speed between it and the likes of Filemaker, Access, SQLite and even heavyweights like MS SQL Server and mySQL are extreme: from hours to minutes, and minutes to seconds.

New in Valentina 2.5

Because of the uniqueness of the Valentina model, a Valentina axiom is "get the work done before it normally begins" - use the high speed kernel to get a result and reduce the shuttling back and forth of data where possible. Two new features in Valentina 2.5 enhanced Valentina SQL with this in mind.

Valentina 2.5 for Revolution adds a powerful data-analysis feature -the PIVOT command. Spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel transform copious amounts of local data into new meaningful combinations using pivot tables - allowing you to analyze data based on new criteria. At its simplest, switching between columns and rows. The PIVOT SQL command in Valentina 2.5 lets you generate a sort of virtual pivot table based on any amount of data stored in the Valentina database. Imagine populating thousands of fields in Revolution then trying to manipulate the data contained within, using your own hand-coded pivot table logic - instead, offload the processing to Valentina so that all you need to do is populate your fields with the result.

The second enhancement to Valentina SQL is the WITH statement. This feature is known as a Common Table Expression - something only recently added to MS SQL Server. CTEs make SQL queries much easier to read. Using WITH, you create a temporary view that lasts only for the duration of the query: you define a narrow sub-set of data, then performs a query against that sub-set. The Valentina kernel does all the work within the SQL query containing WITH before returning the data to you.

So What about Databases on a Network?

The two new SQL features can be executed on a local database or across a network, leveraging Valentina's fast and secure TCP/IP implementation. If you plan to build true client-server solutions for your customers, then you will also be excited about new features in Valentina Office Server, Valentina Studio, and Valentina Embedded Server.

Valentina Office Server and Valentina Studio include two new and powerful features: secure SSL-based communications and Zero-Config Bonjour automatic discovery.

Secure Sockets Layer was pioneered by Netscape for creating a highly secure channel of communication. It is now possible to designate a secure and non-secure port on Office Server, or the ability to disable non-secure communications entirely.

Bonjour is Apple Computer's implementation of Zero-Config networking. Now it is possible to automatically locate installations of Valentina Office Server on a network. Valentina Studio automatically shows you all copies of Valentina Office Server on your network and allows you to connect to them with a double-click .

Valentina Developer Network (you can upgrade to VDN from Valentina ADK for Revolution) lets you distribute any number of copies of Valentina Embedded Server, royalty free. VDN subscribers can order Valentina Adapters that will allow SSL and Bonjour to work within their customer's Valentina based applications - two powerful features that can be sold to their customers as upgrades! Consider an educational developer that makes independent learning software - incorporating Bonjour, their server solution can be installed anywhere on a lab network and the student's individual client applications can automatically locate and log into it - without having to enter any IP information.

What About My Free Valentina Office Server from RevCon 2006?

Attendees of RevCon West 2006 in Monterey, California received a free copy of Valentina Office Server. If you attended, you will be happy to discover that your license works with Valentina Office Server version 2.5.

I already have Valentina 2.x for Revolution - What About Me?

Valentina for Revolution 2.5 is a free upgrade from Valentina for Revolution 2.x, including Valentina Studio 2.5 (a free copy of Valentina Studio is included in Valentina for Revolution Professional). You can upgrade from either Valentina for Revolution 2.5 ADK Standard Edition or ADK Professional to Valentina Developer Network.