Getting started

OpenADS is a CMake project written in C++17. It builds on Windows (MSVC), Linux (clang or gcc), and macOS (AppleClang).

Build

git clone https://github.com/FiveTechSoft/OpenADS
cd OpenADS
cmake --preset default
cmake --build build/default --config Release
ctest --test-dir build/default --output-on-failure -C Release

Output binaries:

ace64.dll (Windows) / libace.so (Linux) / libace.dylib (macOS) under build/default/src/Release/ — the drop-in ACE replacement.
tools/serverd/openads_serverd — standalone TCP server CLI.
tools/bench/openads_bench — cross-platform SQL workload timer.

Build options

OPENADS_WITH_HTTP=ON (default ON since v1.0.0-rc20) — builds the Studio web console into openads_serverd and into ace64.dll / ace32.dll (LocalServer mode). Vendors cpp-httplib and nlohmann/json. Pass -DOPENADS_WITH_HTTP=OFF to opt out.
cmake -DOPENADS_WITH_TLS=ON … — enables tls:// client URIs in AdsConnect60. Vendors mbedtls 3.6 LTS (Apache-2.0) and statically links it since v1.0.0-rc8 — zero runtime libssl / libcrypto / mbedtls DLL dependency.

The Windows release ZIP bundles both ace64.dll (x64) and ace32.dll (x86) with matching openads_serverd_{x64,x86}.exe since v1.0.0-rc8, so X#, Harbour-x86, and legacy Clipper apps all pick the right bitness from one download.

Smoke test (drop-in)

Place ace64.dll (or libace.so) on a Harbour application’s PATH ahead of any SAP-shipped copy. Existing contrib/rddads calls now hit OpenADS.

Build your own Harbour app against OpenADS (`hbmk2` / `.hbp`)

The repo ships a turnkey hbmk2 template at examples/harbour-hbmk2/ — drop your .prg next to openads_demo.hbp, point OPENADS_LIB at OpenADS’ build output, run hbmk2. The produced .exe drives DBF / CDX through Harbour’s stock contrib/rddads RDD but every Ads* call lands on OpenADS’ ace64.dll instead of any SAP-shipped one.

:: From a Visual Studio x64 Developer Command Prompt:
cd examples\harbour-hbmk2
set OPENADS_LIB=C:\OpenADS\build\default\src\Release
set PATH=C:\harbour\bin\win\msvc64;%OPENADS_LIB%;%PATH%
hbmk2 openads_demo.hbp
copy /y "%OPENADS_LIB%\ace64.dll" .
openads_demo.exe

The .hbp is intentionally minimal — only the two link entries that change for OpenADS:

openads_demo.prg
-comp=msvc64
-lrddads                    # Harbour's ADS RDD (contrib/rddads)
-L${OPENADS_LIB}
-lace64                     # OpenADS' import lib (instead of SAP's)
-lrddcdx
-lrddntx
-lrddfpt

A 32-bit variant (openads_demo_x86.hbp → -lace32) sits alongside, plus a POSIX build.sh. For FiveWin (FWH) GUI apps hbmk2 is not enough — see examples/fivewin/ for build_msvc64.cmd that mirrors FWH’s stock build script with rddads.lib + OpenADS’ ace64.lib added in.

Typical “my hbmk2 attempt failed” symptoms:

Symptom	Likely cause
`unresolved external symbol AdsConnect60` (or any `Ads*`)	`OPENADS_LIB` not set, or wrong toolchain — `ace64.lib` is MSVC; for bcc64 / MinGW use the matching import lib.
`lib 'rddads' not found`	`contrib/rddads` not built for the `-comp=…` you chose. Rebuild Harbour’s contrib for that toolchain.
Runtime `ace64.dll not found`	DLL not next to the exe and not on `PATH`.
Strings show truncated in a TBrowse / xBrowse	Fixed in v1.0.0-rc27 — `AdsGetField` now pads CHAR to declared width.
`AdsVersion()` looks like `12.0` / `11.10`	You loaded SAP’s `ace64.dll`. `where ace64.dll` and reorder `PATH`.

Smoke test (TCP server + Studio)

# 1. Build (HTTP is on by default since rc20)
cmake --preset default
cmake --build build/default --target openads_serverd --config Release

# 2. Launch the daemon
./build/default/tools/serverd/openads_serverd \
    --port 6262 \
    --http-port 6263 \
    --data /path/to/your/data

# 3. Open the Studio in any browser
xdg-open http://localhost:6263/         # Linux
open       http://localhost:6263/       # macOS
start      http://localhost:6263/       # Windows

LocalServer Studio (in-process)

Since v1.0.0-rc9 the same Studio console is embedded in ace64.dll / ace32.dll. A Harbour / X# / Clipper app that loads the OpenADS DLL gets the SPA in its own process — no daemon needed. Set OPENADS_STUDIO_PORT=8080 before launching the host app to auto-start it, or call AdsStudioStart(port, data_dir) from the host code. See Studio guide for the full surface (mode badge, AOF demo, REST API).

Run `openads_serverd` as a system service

Since v1.0.0-rc14:

Windows: openads_serverd --install-service (auto-start via SCM); --uninstall-service removes it.
Linux: scripts/openads-serverd.service is a hardened systemd unit (User=openads, ProtectSystem=strict, NoNewPrivileges).
macOS: scripts/com.openads.serverd.plist is a launchd plist with KeepAlive on crash.

See Service deployment for the full recipes.