As many long time coders will recognize the pattern of software:

• Version 1 - messy code, but scratches and itch for someone and a lot is learned in the process.
• Version 2 - Usually a total redesign from the lessons learned in the first effort.
• Version 3 – Usually suffers from code bloat as a number of third parties come in and add everything but the kitchen sink. Normally suffers from trying to be all things to all people.

Here is a brief history of the code…

Apollo was built by others. The VDB team modified it and tweaked it, and built some stuff on top of it. After studying it, they learned a lot and built VDB2.

VistaDB2 was their actual first built engine from scratch. The SQL parser was not from scratch, but the engine was. And as most of us long time coders know, you build the first one to throw away. You learn your lessons and Version 2 is usually the best version. VistaDB3 is that second built engine from scratch. The parser is from scratch this time too.

So in some ways this is a generation 3 product (marketing mostly), but in the technical aspects this is really a generation 2 product. Where we are still lacking is in the documentation department. That is really at the generation 1 stage. It was never really a priority before and was not treated as a project within the company. It is now, and I know we have a ways to go still. It will get better, I promise.