Re: Database Upsize - Where is the SQL data?
Tom,
As you acknowledged you are getting some very good advice here. I just want to echo what Finian and others have said. SQL files are not like regular files. You're not going to open a sql table in Excel and examine it they way you might with a dbf file. Nor would you ever point to a SQL file and "copy" it to another location the way you might a dbf file set. As a matter of fact, once you install SQL the db engine is always running, even if your not using it. So if you wanted to turn MySQL or MariaDB off, you would open up the DOS command prompt and type in:
C:\> net stop mysql
To start it again you would:
C:\> net start mysql
But that is not something you would ordinarily do. As a matter of fact, in all likelihood, you would probably never ever do that. I'm just making the point.
As for file locations, it's not a secret but it can be hard to find. e.g. My MariaDB files are located here by default:
C:\Program Files\MariaDB 10.0\data
or
C:/ProgramData/MySQL/MySQL Server 5.5/Data/
But again, that's not a place you would ever really go. SQL does what it does and you keep out of the way. But if you built a db locally and wanted to transfer it to someone's server, like others, I use a 3rd party tool. I too use Navicat and the pro version allows you to transfer (copy) files to another machine using a connection string pointing to the server or machine. That machine would have to have the same version of SQL running on it - whether it be MySQL, SQL Server or whatever. FWIW, the free version of Navicat doesn't allow file transfers. But the free version is still a useful tool which allows you to create/edit tables, etc (similar to the way you do it in Alpha). You can google to find Navicat Lite or it's probably still available on CNET and other sites. I don't believe that the Navicat web site carries the free version any more.
One other note. You can create dbf tables and export them to SQL (generally I would stay away from the Upsize Genie which I seem to remember makes a big mess). From the CP click on the table and select File/Export from the CP menu. The shortcoming of that is you are limited to Alpha's file types and all your field names will be CAPITALIZED (really ugly, Tom). Anyway, you definitely won't feel in control unless you can edit tables and views directly, thus tools like Navicat, Sqlyog, etc. The real SQL code jockeys work from the SQL (DOS-like) command prompt. To me that's scary stuff. But I'm not a SQL code jockey and anyway I can barely type.
One more thing, and you probably know this, the SQL world, the depth of SQL is V - A - S - T. I've been using MySQL/MaraiDB for about 4-years now and I feel like a 2-year old in the SQL world. Someday I hope to grow up and be at the level of a 3-year old.
My 2-cents.
Tom,
As you acknowledged you are getting some very good advice here. I just want to echo what Finian and others have said. SQL files are not like regular files. You're not going to open a sql table in Excel and examine it they way you might with a dbf file. Nor would you ever point to a SQL file and "copy" it to another location the way you might a dbf file set. As a matter of fact, once you install SQL the db engine is always running, even if your not using it. So if you wanted to turn MySQL or MariaDB off, you would open up the DOS command prompt and type in:
C:\> net stop mysql
To start it again you would:
C:\> net start mysql
But that is not something you would ordinarily do. As a matter of fact, in all likelihood, you would probably never ever do that. I'm just making the point.
As for file locations, it's not a secret but it can be hard to find. e.g. My MariaDB files are located here by default:
C:\Program Files\MariaDB 10.0\data
or
C:/ProgramData/MySQL/MySQL Server 5.5/Data/
But again, that's not a place you would ever really go. SQL does what it does and you keep out of the way. But if you built a db locally and wanted to transfer it to someone's server, like others, I use a 3rd party tool. I too use Navicat and the pro version allows you to transfer (copy) files to another machine using a connection string pointing to the server or machine. That machine would have to have the same version of SQL running on it - whether it be MySQL, SQL Server or whatever. FWIW, the free version of Navicat doesn't allow file transfers. But the free version is still a useful tool which allows you to create/edit tables, etc (similar to the way you do it in Alpha). You can google to find Navicat Lite or it's probably still available on CNET and other sites. I don't believe that the Navicat web site carries the free version any more.
One other note. You can create dbf tables and export them to SQL (generally I would stay away from the Upsize Genie which I seem to remember makes a big mess). From the CP click on the table and select File/Export from the CP menu. The shortcoming of that is you are limited to Alpha's file types and all your field names will be CAPITALIZED (really ugly, Tom). Anyway, you definitely won't feel in control unless you can edit tables and views directly, thus tools like Navicat, Sqlyog, etc. The real SQL code jockeys work from the SQL (DOS-like) command prompt. To me that's scary stuff. But I'm not a SQL code jockey and anyway I can barely type.
One more thing, and you probably know this, the SQL world, the depth of SQL is V - A - S - T. I've been using MySQL/MaraiDB for about 4-years now and I feel like a 2-year old in the SQL world. Someday I hope to grow up and be at the level of a 3-year old.
My 2-cents.
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