SQL Anywhere future

[former_SQLA_member1694914]

Hello everyone! I hope you are well and healthy!

In company we are starting new software project and I am in dilemma about database. Today we are using SQL Anywhere v 17. But as I see there is not much work going on on it. Is there any development on it? Could we expect any new version in near future?

Regards

Tomaz

[Chris_Kleisath]

As a member of the SAP SQL Anywhere team, I would like to address this question. SQL Anywhere continues to be actively supported and maintained. New patch releases of SQL Anywhere continue to be published. While there are very few new features being added to the product (as Breck observes), it continues to be a very important technology inside SAP. SQL Anywhere forms part of the core of the IQ database server behind our new HANA Data Lake cloud product. As a result, I believe that the technology has a long and bright future, and that you would be well served to choose SQL Anywhere 17 for your next project.

[former_SQLA_member1694914]

Thank you Chris for your clear answer. Regards Tomaz

[justin_willey]

That's encouraging to hear.

[Breck_Carter]

> encouraging

...on several levels!

[Breck_Carter]

I believe SQL Anywhere 17 has a long and successful future as an extremely powerful and stable relational database system. There probably won't be too many (any more?) "RFQ Checkpoint" features any time soon; e.g., no new kitchen-sink-in-the-database features like Java-objects-in-the-database", full-text search, spatial data.

Don't get me wrong, there's a bunch of kitchen-sink features I love; e.g., HTTP, proxy tables, HA, MobiLink, even SQL Remote. My point is, if you have a favorite non-relational, non-SQL feature you'd like stuffed into SQL Anywhere, don't hold your breath. For example, built-in JavaScript charts... but guess what? you can embed Highcharts in SQL Anywhere yourself, and use XMLHttpRequest() to dynamically request database data from the browser.

And if you're looking for further development of the in-memory database feature, or the addition of a columnar data store, well, that'll won't come until we get UltraLite HANA 🙂

Seriously, the "kitchen-sink" phase is over, SQL Anywhere has entered the "powerful and stable" stage in its life.

Consider this particular Use Case: SQL Anywhere is embedded in Oracle MICROS RES 3700 Restaurant POS System which is used in hundreds of thousands of bars, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality establishments worldwide.

[Breck_Carter]

BTW, Highcharts rocks, so does FreeFind.

[axel_siepmann]

What about Mac OS on Apple Silcon - will this be supported? It would be exciting to see how SA performs on these new machines. 🙂