Synopse

Here is the definition of "cache", as stated by Wikipedia:

In computer engineering, a cache is a component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster. The data that is stored within a cache might be values that have been computed earlier or duplicates of original values that are stored elsewhere. If requested data is contained in the cache (cache hit), this request can be served by simply reading the cache, which is comparatively faster. Otherwise (cache miss), the data has to be recomputed or fetched from its original storage location, which is comparatively slower. Hence, the greater the number of requests that can be served from the cache, the faster the overall system performance becomes.

To be cost efficient and to enable an efficient use of data, caches are relatively small. Nevertheless, caches have proven themselves in many areas of computing because access patterns in typical computer applications have locality of reference. References exhibit temporal locality if data is requested again that has been recently requested already. References exhibit spatial locality if data is requested that is physically stored close to data that has been requested already.

In our ORM framework, since performance was one goal since the beginning, cache has been implemented at four levels:

• Statement cache for reuse of SQL prepared statements, and bound parameters on the fly - note that this cache is available not only for the SQlite3 database engine, but also for any external engine; 
• Global JSON result cache at the database level, which is flushed globally on any INSERT / UPDATE; 
• Tuned record cache at the CRUD/RESTful level for specified tables or records on the server side; 
• Tuned record cache at the CRUD/RESTful level for specified tables or records on the client side.

The Open Source SynDBExplorer tool has been enhanced these days.

Main new features are:

• Execution of the current selected text (if any) instead of the whole memo content;
• "Exec & Export" new button, for direct export to file.

The prototype of these method has been modified, to supply an additional aSession: cardinal parameter: this is a CODE BREAK change and you shall refresh ALL your server-side code to match the new signature.

Our Client-Server ORM framework is now available in revision 1.15.

This is a major upgrade of the framework:

• It is now called mORMot - so please update your T-Shirts or coffee cups
• It is able to use any Database engine back-end - in fact, it is SQLite3 powered, not SQLite3 limited;
• In particular, direct OleDB and native Oracle have been implemented;
• It makes use of the genuine SQlite3 Virtual Table mechanism everywhere to allow mixed access to any database engine;
• New TModTime / TCreateTime kind of fields;
• Enhanced stability, speed and multi-thread implementation;
• Methods and functions have been enhanced, according to user feedback (thanks you all for your interest and forum posts!);
• Extended documentation (more than 700 pdf pages), with new diagrams and a lot of new content;
• New associated tools, like LogViewer or SynDBExplorer;
• The SQLite3 core can now be used without our ORM - it has been updated to the latest 3.7.8 version;
• Open Source (under GPL/LGPL/MPL license), running from Delphi 6 up to XE2.

The framework documentation was just updated.

The general organization of the SAD document (which is the one to be read in all cases) has been refreshed, and is now separated in smaller chapters.

The new official name has been changed into "Synopse SQLite3/mORMot framework"...

Our downloadable documentation has been enhanced, and contains now a description about the main feature of the near-to-come 1.15 version, i.e. "database agnosticism".

The core database of our mORMot / SQLite3 framework uses the SQLite3 library, which is a Free, Secure, Zero-Configuration, Server-less, Single Stable Cross-Platform Database File database engine.

As stated below, you can use any other database access layer, if you wish. A fast in-memory engine is included, and can be used instead or together with the SQLite3 engine. Since revision 1.15 of the framework you may be able to access any remote database, and use one or more OleDB (or Oracle) connections to store your precious ORM objects. The SQlite3 will be used as the main SQL engine, able to JOIN all those tables, thanks to its Virtual Table unique feature.

For our ORM framework, we implemented an efficient SQLite3 wrapper, joining statically (i.e. without any external dll) the SQLite3 engine to the executable. SQLite3 is in fact used as the DB kernel of the framework. For instance, thanks to its unique virtual table mechanism, even tables in other databases (like Oracle or MSSQL) are available as if they were SQLite3 tables.

We just made this wrapper independent from our ORM, in a new dedicated unit, named SynSQLite3.pas.

It was an easy task to let this unit be called from our SynDB database abstract classes.

Our ORM framework has been released as version 1.14.

It's mainly a bug-fix release:

• Integrated SQLite3 engine updated to latest version 3.7.7.1;
• Fix several issues about JSON generation layout;
• Enhanced automated User Interface generation for object on-screen edition;
• SynPdf unit now handles Bézier curves from TCanvas, and some CMYK functions; also enhanced PDF/A-1compatibility;
• Some speed enhancements, and new functions for the SynOleDB unit.

This is a major step for the framework.

Among a lot of new features and bug fixes:

• Dynamic arrays and Record handling, including low-level access and high-level handling for the ORM part of the framework (using TDynArray wrapper);
• Business rules now handled via filtering and validating classes for both our ORM and the Synopse Big Table;
• New full-featured logging classes, with exception handling, stack trace and JSON serialization;
• Custom SQL functions and TSQLRecordRTree to implement R-Tree virtual tables;
• Batch sequences for adding/updating/deleting multiple records;
• Secure RESTful authentication via per-user light sessions, and per-query signature;
• Define custom Virtual Tables (i.e. access any kind of data from SQL) in Delphi code;
• New HTTP server using fast http.sys kernel-mode server and zip / SynLZ compression;
• SynTaskDialog unit native under Vista,Seven with emulation code under XP/2000 ;
• User Interface automated Generation using standard VCL or proprietary TMS components;
• Documentation completed - more than 600 pages by now, including general User Guide and exhaustive Technical Reference;
• Updated SQLite3 database engine to version 3.7.6.3;
• Numerous bug fixes, speed and feature enhancements (including in the PDF and other UI-related units).

Open Source project, for Delphi 6 up to XE, licensed under a MPL/LGPL/GPL tri-license.