I agree totally. The Reports Server (via VServer and VStudio) was why I bought Valentina DB. I was using Reports to generate very complicated manpower/budget/payroll reports usually 85 to 100 pages in length from MySQL. Awesome.

Our client accused us of buying Oracle and Crystal Reports behind their back because our product was so professional and detailed.

Then one day I decided to give Valentina's DB (on VServer) a run for it's money to see how it stacked up against MySQL (and a few Postgres DBs).

Absolutely no comparison. VDB smoked MySQL and Postgres in queries and reports generation in every one of the 40ish reports we produce.

I sold my client on VDB, migrated to VServer pack and haven't looked back. Best $ I have spent in a long time.

Admittedly, the learning curve on Valentina was difficult because the documentation is difficult to understand. If Valentina spent some time on improving their docs and tutorial videos, they could be a world class player in the DB world.

I don't regret switching to Valentina at all.

Hi John,

I wonder if you have used 5.8 or 6.0 beta?

Hi Ruslan,

I'm using 5.8 on this server. I'm planning on installing the latest beta on a test server today.

Admittedly, the learning curve on Valentina was difficult because the documentation is difficult to understand. If Valentina spent some time on improving their docs and tutorial videos, they could be a world class player in the DB world.

I don't regret switching to Valentina at all.

I agree Scott, the documentation is difficult to follow and I would imagine it's the reason most don't move to Valentina.

The new forum will be a good place for new users to find help when they hit a stump. As the forum grows new users will be able to see how great a database server Valentina is and how helpful the people behind it are.

Hi Guys,

Thank you for such nice feedback! :-)
I think we can push this to our blog and may be FB page.

About docs, may be it is a good idea throw here any points what was difficult and why? If something is in your memory yet.
The next time when you meet something problematic in docs, point that issue(s) to us, we will try to improve it.

I've been looking at the documentation for three years and I still have problems with the documentation. Once I find something, it's really hard to find it again. I personally don't like the wiki. I can't stand the menu system it uses and usually try to refer to the .pdf docs. Many of the examples offered are not complete or I find the wording difficult to follow. I can eventually put it all together if I study it long enough. Many of the pages in the wiki I actually find useless and provide little or no helpful information.

The example projects that are installed are also hard to follow. I think for a beginner they may be to complex to easily follow. Instead of a simple Create Connection -> Connect To Database -> Execute Query -> Close Connection example. It seems like the examples are a bunch of methods that work together, making it really hard for a beginner to follow. I'm sure there are simple examples somewhere, but they're probably hard to find.

The first time I purchased a license for Valentina Server, I never used it. I had so many problems trying to figure it out... I just gave up. The number one complaint I hear about is the documentation. The only problem I've ever had is getting through the documentation. If potential customers can't get through the documentation quickly and easily, I doubt they are likely to adopt the product.

Hi Johnny,

1) yes we have complains on docs. This is why I asking you guys put by finger each time when you see some trouble.

You say example not completed? Show us that example when you see it please. We will check and improve.


2) Wiki as tool ...

- hard to find something? But it have SEARCH field, finds everything.
Can you throw here some examples: I want find XXX or YYY and we will try together to find it.

Even google can be a good way to search our docs.
For example: in google right now: "Valentina VDatabase class open" and it finds
VDatabase Class: Disk Methods [Valentina Database Wiki v5]


3) Main problem in our wiki we see -- there is no "page by page" sequence.
But our TOP page of WIKI have very clear jumps to all sections: vcomponents, VSQL, API, VServer, VStudio, FAQs, Features.


So once again, better to see one specific trouble from real life and fix it.

The example projects that are installed are also hard to follow. I think for a beginner they may be to complex to easily follow. Instead of a simple Create Connection -> Connect To Database -> Execute Query -> Close Connection example. It seems like the examples are a bunch of methods that work together, making it really hard for a beginner to follow. I'm sure there are simple examples somewhere, but they're probably hard to find.

I guess you mean Examples in Xojo. You mean they are complex for beginners?

Well, these examples are feature-specific. Each example shows one feature. Nothing more.

If you need blob or encryption or compression or trigger, you just check example with such name.

May be they looks complex because few methods are used still, and yet examples depend on gClient flag to be able work in both LOCAL and REMOTE modes...

May be there is sense to make 1-2 start examples (based on SQL) with totally
single button -> single method and 15-20 lines of code?

But in this way is made our tutorial, 2 lessons. One more GOOGLE search "Valentina Xojo tutorial"
http://www.valentina-db.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=valentina: products:adk:v4rb:tutorial:tutorial


2) About explanation of examples. I think they should have read me file where is pointed "Example Guide".

Also right now I go to google, and do search "Valentina xojo example guide", find URL
http://www.valentina-db.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=valentina: products:adk:examples:guide:v4rb:v4rb

3) About Server and other.

this is why about 2 years ago we have spend few weeks to develop very detailed videos for most our products about,
- how to download archive
- how to install it,
- where and how to get serial or license file,
- how to register product with serial or license file,
- how to check that it works.

Each product. Each OS. Many videos.

The videos are a great resource for new users to start with.