Red Flags

[KenHigg]

Should all new dev avoid DAO?

December 2008
Obsolete Data Access Technologies

Obsolete technologies are technologies that have not been enhanced or updated in several product releases and that will be excluded from future product releases. Do not use these technologies when you write new applications. When you modify existing applications that are written by using these technologies, consider migrating those applications to ADO.NET.

The following components are considered obsolete:

DB-Library: This is a SQL Server–specific programming model that includes C APIs. There have been no feature enhancements to the DB-Library since SQL Server 6.5. Its final release was with SQL Server 2000, and it will not be ported to the 64-bit Windows operating system.
Embedded SQL (E-SQL): This is a SQL Server–specific programming model that enables Transact-SQL statements to be embedded in Visual C code. No feature enhancements have been made to the E-SQL since SQL Server 6.5. Its final release was with SQL Server 2000, and it will not be ported to the 64-bit Windows operating system.
Data Access Objects (DAO): DAO provides access to JET (Access) databases. This API can be used from Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Visual C++, and scripting languages. It was included with Microsoft Office 2000 and Office XP. DAO 3.6 is the final version of this technology. It will not be available on the 64-bit Windows operating system.
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[Banana]

Well, as a data access technology in realm of C, VB, Win32, MFC and whatnot programming, it has been obsolete since what, 98? 00? Long ago, actually.

However, IINM, Access team now has the control over DAO and already made improvement to it, though they now call it ACE, but is 100% backward compatible with existing DAO code.

We're talking about different contexts here. Heck, ADO is supposed to be superseded by ADO.NET so I wouldn't be surprised to see it get obsolete anytime soon.

 

[Dennisk]

There are techniques in DAO that are not in ADO and so some code will require re-developing.

The ability to a lock a table comes to mind.

DAO being specifically taylored to JET is more efficient that ADO for accessing Access dbs.

 

[Banana]

Though, I just realized something. If DAO is supposed to be obsolete, but they do still use Jet as a data store for Windows' innards such as Active Directory and Windows Explorer and whatnots, what do they use?

 

[Rabbie]

Microsoft seem to have changed their minds about DAO. It is till fully supported long after they tried to deprecate it in A2000. I believe it is more efficient when you have an Access BE.