which c/c++ db-access library to use?

My company is currently using MS-SQL server, with middle-tier COM db components using ATL OLEDB consumer classes on top of the MS-SQL OLEDB driver. We have recently made the decision to move our database to the Oracle 8i platform, and I am in charge of evaluating, selecting, and implementing the new db connectivity layer. We currently use IIS/ASP to host high volume e-commerce sites, so good performance is a requirement of the access method I choose (connection pooling, etc.) I am in search of comments and reviews on any of the following db-access methods below:

-Oracle OCI
-Pro*C
-Oracle Objects for OLE (is this slow because it is using OLE
Automation?)
-Oracle OLEDB driver (in beta, ugh!)
-Microsoft OLEDB driver for Oracle (this scares me, just because
it is implemented by MS)
-Oracle ODBC

Or, at a higher level:

-RogueWave's DBTools.h++

I have several comments on the methods listed above:

• Oracle OCI / have heard that it is hard to implement, and I'm sure there are already class libraries out there that wrap around it, but performance is good
• Pro*C / Wow! makes you write UGLY code...heard the performance is right there with the OCI
• Oracle Objects for OLE / seems rather close to the ATL OLEDB consumer classes we are currently using, worries me a little that the class wrappers are around the Automation stuff - does it really use IDispatch?
• Oracle OLEDB driver / this is in beta, refuse to even look at it for a production environment
• Microsoft OLEDB driver for Oracle / doesn't support some things, like backward scrollable rowsets, worries me a little that MS has implemented this, and they are big competitor to Oracle in the DB market
• ODBC (MS or Oracle) / heard this is slow, not suited for situations where high performance is required
• DBTools.h++ / would probably make my life simpler to integrate with these before switching to Oracle, and then just switch to using the Oracle DBTools access library, but heard the performance on these libraries is right up there with the ODBC drivers, and EXPENSIVE

Any comments are welcome. Are there any other major access libraries that I haven't found yet? We are also looking to move to a Java (EJB) middle tier in mid-year 2000, if that should affect my decision at all, please let me know. Thank you for your help.

Jason Boehle
jboehle_at_swbell.net Received on Fri Dec 10 1999 - 21:45:09 CST