Client-Library is an applications programming interface (API) for use in writing client applications.
Client-Library was introduced with System 10™ and provides generic building blocks for constructing distributed client applications, including non-database applications.
Although Sybase supports several other client interfaces, including DB-Library, ODBC, and Embedded SQL™, Client-Library offers powerful advantages to the application programmer:
It is both query-language-independent and database-independent, enabling application programmers to create a wide range of powerful, flexible applications.
It shares type definitions, defines, and data element descriptions with Sybase’s Open Server™ Server-Library interface, enabling application programmers to integrate client functionality into Server-Library applications.
It provides an asynchronous interface, enabling application programmers to develop applications that simultaneously perform multiple work requests.
It allows programmers to set configuration properties in a runtime configuration file, without making changes to the application itself.
Client-Library is the API of choice for new Sybase customers and customers writing new applications. For customers with existing DB-Library applications, choosing to migrate to Client-Library depends on whether the applications need access to new Sybase functionality and how much effort the migration requires.
