# Sequel vs. RDBI vs. DBI **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [March 2, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sequel-vs-rdbi-vs-dbi/227055 "2013-03-02T02:45:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jim-harris)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sequel-vs-rdbi-vs-dbi/227055/1 "2013-03-02T02:45:56Z")
So it looks like RDBI hasn’t been touched in a while and DBI appears dormant, so I’ve been looking at Sequel . I like what I’ve seen so far and I’m just wondering if this would be considered “the way to do database programming in ruby” (if there is one) ? I moved from DBI to RDBI a while back and would like to stick with something that’ll be around and supported along with the language. Thanks, – Jim H. IT Security Engineer UF Information Technology Office of Information Security and Compliance ---
**Author:** ![jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jim-harris)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sequel-vs-rdbi-vs-dbi/227055/2 "2013-03-03T14:02:14Z")
Jim H. wrote in post #1099800: > So it looks like RDBI hasn’t been touched in a while and DBI > appears dormant, so I’ve been looking at Sequel . I like what > I’ve seen so far and I’m just wondering if this would be > considered “the way to do database programming in ruby” > (if there is one) ? > > I moved from DBI to RDBI a while back and would like to > stick with something that’ll be around and supported > along with the language. > > Thanks, > > – > Jim H. > IT Security Engineer > UF Information Technology > Office of Information Security and Compliance I’m not prepared to state that Sequel is THE way to do database programming in Ruby". But it’s a solid choice and is continuously updated. I use it daily in a variety of environments: SQL Server or SQLite; desktop or server; MRI or JRuby. David ---
**Author:** ![jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jim-harris)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sequel-vs-rdbi-vs-dbi/227055/3 "2013-03-03T17:20:01Z")
I would really suggest using Sequel before (or instead of) ActiveRecord. Its smaller, lighter, and (if you’re used to sql) closer to the bone. I found I had _serious_ problems trying to understand Sequel’s syntax after using ActiveRecord, and the lack of #find\* helpers like ActiveRecord has threw me for a loop. As I started digging deeper into Sequel, and started throwing out ActiveRecord it started getting a bit easier, but I do have to say that working with Sequel was far harder than it had to be because of hitting ActiveRecord first. I got spoiled with the easier syntax and fooled into thinking it was the ‘better’ of the two. I got that totally wrong. ---
**Author:** ![jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jim-harris)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sequel-vs-rdbi-vs-dbi/227055/4 "2013-10-19T04:43:41Z")
I really like Sequel compared to A/R, but just today I’ve hit a problem that as near as I can tell is a problem with Sequel: It fails when attempting to use transactions with MS-SQL Server (which sadly, is the database I have to use). I can use ‘isql’ from the Linux command line and do transactions with SQL-Server just fine. I can use Sequel with transactions against PostgreSQL, but Sequel and transactions against SQL-Server… no-uh-uh… I’m very bummed about this because I really liked everything else I’ve seen, but this is likely a deal-breaker for me. ---
**Author:** ![jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jim-harris)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sequel-vs-rdbi-vs-dbi/227055/5 "2013-03-04T16:32:01Z")
+1 for Sequel. Use it in production with several apps and have absolutely no complaints. Bryan ---
**Author:** ![jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jim-harris)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sequel-vs-rdbi-vs-dbi/227055/6 "2013-10-23T17:13:45Z")
Joe Meirow wrote in post #1124887: > I really like Sequel compared to A/R, but just today I’ve hit a problem > that as near as I can tell is a problem with Sequel: It fails when > attempting to use transactions with MS-SQL Server (which sadly, is the > database I have to use). > > I can use ‘isql’ from the Linux command line and do transactions with > SQL-Server just fine. I can use Sequel with transactions against > PostgreSQL, but Sequel and transactions against SQL-Server… no-uh-uh… > > I’m very bummed about this because I really liked everything else I’ve > seen, but this is likely a deal-breaker for me. Sequel fully supports transactions on most adapters that connect to Microsoft SQL Server (tinytds, jdbc/sqlserver, jdbc/jtds, odbc). I think the only adapter that doesn’t support them is ado with the default provider, since that doesn’t provide a consistent connection object (a problem with win32ole, not with Sequel). Thanks, Jeremy ---
**Author:** ![jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@jim-harris](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jim-harris)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sequel-vs-rdbi-vs-dbi/227055/7 "2013-10-19T05:03:48Z")
A happy retraction. I’ve found the source of my problem and now can “+1” Sequel. (FWIW, I was not setting the :db\_type to ‘mssql’ in the connection)