Re: online database for desktop app

I'd say a web service in between gives you far better controlł. If you expose the DB credentials in your app you'd at least run into the risks of DOS attacks.

Since most queries just return a nested data structure, using a JSON transport layer in between should be fine.˛

I'd start googling for REST and SQL.°

I don't know the nature of your centralized data, but propably you'll even only need some static JSON files which are updated regularly from SQL?

Cheers Rolf
_{(addicted to the Perl Programming Language :)

Wikisyntax for the Monastery
FootballPerl is like chess, only without the dice}

update

°) especially ODATA

˛) kind of

-> post request named query
-> + bind variables (placeholders)
server: executes prepared statement
runs ->fetchall_hashref or ->fetchall_arrayref
to_json($ref)
<- JSON
client: $ref=from_json(JSON)

ł) and HTTP(S) means far less problems with firewalls.

Comment on Re: online database for desktop app

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^2: online database for desktop app by Anonymous Monk on Nov 04, 2018 at 13:28 UTC
Thanks. Interesting thoughts. My data structure is quite simple. Two columns: 1. column to match a query, 2. columns contains results. Just reading. Any data maintenance is done in SQL. Your description of the process seems what I am looking for. Just searching if there are modules I can use in order to not reinvent the wheel (and probably build errors in it).	[reply]
Re^3: online database for desktop app by LanX (Saint) on Nov 04, 2018 at 13:37 UTC
Plz have a look at the sketched communication flow in my second footnote (updated). A CGI using JSON and DBI to run just 2 or 3 prepared statements returning AoAs should have less overhead than configuring a full REST/ODATA layer. Without knowing your app I can't judge how complicated it's supposed to become later, hence justifying the long term investment into abstraction. Cheers Rolf _{(addicted to the Perl Programming Language :) Wikisyntax for the Monastery FootballPerl is like chess, only without the dice} update NB: if you put these SQL-statements into a separate module you can use and test them directly. The additional CGI/JSON layer would be transparent.	[reply]
Re^2: online database for desktop app by Anonymous Monk on Nov 04, 2018 at 18:32 UTC
Implemented 1 to 1. Nice! Thank you!	[reply]
Re^3: online database for desktop app by LanX (Saint) on Nov 04, 2018 at 18:36 UTC
Great! YW! :) Cheers Rolf _{(addicted to the Perl Programming Language :) Wikisyntax for the Monastery FootballPerl is like chess, only without the dice}	[reply]