• Data Abstract Documentation

Data Abstract Documentation

Note: This is a new documentation site. We are adding new content and improving existing documentation for each Data Abstract platform. If the documentation you are looking for is not here yet, please check out the old documentation wiki while we are in the transition process.

Data Abstract ("DA") is the premier framework for creating powerful and scalable database applications for all the major platforms. It is built on the concept of multi-tier database access, making data access easy, fast and secure for the modern online world.

Data Abstract is available for 5 different platforms, each of those platforms is built from the ground up to best take advantage of the respective platforms features. All editions of Data Abstract follow a common design pattern around the same core classes, such as the Remote Data Adapter and Data Tables, but the infrastructure is implemented natively on each platform.

You choose the platform that best meets your target platform(s) and/or leverages your skill set:

Data Abstract for .NET | Cocoa (Mac & iOS) | Java & Android | Delphi | JavaScript

Under the hood, Data Abstract is built on top of the Remoting SDK to handle the lower-level communication between clients and servers. Documentation for Remoting SDK can be found separately here.

Documentation Overview

The documentation is split into different groups in the side bar on the right:

The first group is made up of 4 sections which are designed to give you a general overview of what Data Abstract is and the concepts used throughout:

  • The Introduction section explores what Data Abstract is, why the multi-tier approach is so powerful, how to decide whether to use the supplied Relativity Server or to compile your own server, and more.
  • Concepts covers the basic ideas behind Data Abstract and the terminology used in it.
  • Technologies dives deeper into the inner workings of DA, exploring individual features and how to approach different tasks.

The next group covers the middle tier server that comes with Data Abstract, the tools you can use to manage it and the IDEs supported by Data Abstract.

  • Relativity Server - Powerful cross platform middle tier server available with all editions of Data Abstract.
  • In the Tools section, you will explore the various tools that are provided with Data Abstract to create and manage an instance of Relativity Server.
  • The IDE Integration provides coverage of the supported IDEs.
  • The API section provides all the information you need about the available types in each platform's version of DA. The APIs for Remoting SDK are covered here as well.

The third group delves into details of actually using Data Abstract in your real-life projects:

  • There are a number of Tutorials that show how to use various aspects of Data Abstract, including one that takes you through building an application from scratch. We will be continually adding more tutorials for all platforms.
  • The Samples section will give you an overview of each of the samples' projects, so you can quickly understand what is being demonstrated in each one.
  • In Tips & Tricks we cover any handy tips and tricks that will aid in developing your applications.
  • The FAQ aims to answer questions that turn up frequently in our email and on the support forum.

The next group is broken down by platform, providing information on topics that are specific to individual platforms only, and entry points into the rest of the documentation curated by platform.

More Resources

Support & Discussion Forums

Beta

If you have an active Data Abstract Subscription then you have access to pre-release or "beta" builds of upcoming Data Abstract releases. More information about the builds available, as well as where to get them is available below.

Data Abstract