Alpha Software Mobile Development Tools:   Alpha Anywhere    |   Alpha TransForm subscribe to our YouTube Channel  Follow Us on LinkedIn  Follow Us on Twitter  Follow Us on Facebook

Announcement

Collapse

The Alpha Software Forum Participation Guidelines

The Alpha Software Forum is a free forum created for Alpha Software Developer Community to ask for help, exchange ideas, and share solutions. Alpha Software strives to create an environment where all members of the community can feel safe to participate. In order to ensure the Alpha Software Forum is a place where all feel welcome, forum participants are expected to behave as follows:
  • Be professional in your conduct
  • Be kind to others
  • Be constructive when giving feedback
  • Be open to new ideas and suggestions
  • Stay on topic


Be sure all comments and threads you post are respectful. Posts that contain any of the following content will be considered a violation of your agreement as a member of the Alpha Software Forum Community and will be moderated:
  • Spam.
  • Vulgar language.
  • Quotes from private conversations without permission, including pricing and other sales related discussions.
  • Personal attacks, insults, or subtle put-downs.
  • Harassment, bullying, threatening, mocking, shaming, or deriding anyone.
  • Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
  • Sexually explicit or violent material, links, or language.
  • Pirated, hacked, or copyright-infringing material.
  • Encouraging of others to engage in the above behaviors.


If a thread or post is found to contain any of the content outlined above, a moderator may choose to take one of the following actions:
  • Remove the Post or Thread - the content is removed from the forum.
  • Place the User in Moderation - all posts and new threads must be approved by a moderator before they are posted.
  • Temporarily Ban the User - user is banned from forum for a period of time.
  • Permanently Ban the User - user is permanently banned from the forum.


Moderators may also rename posts and threads if they are too generic or do not property reflect the content.

Moderators may move threads if they have been posted in the incorrect forum.

Threads/Posts questioning specific moderator decisions or actions (such as "why was a user banned?") are not allowed and will be removed.

The owners of Alpha Software Corporation (Forum Owner) reserve the right to remove, edit, move, or close any thread for any reason; or ban any forum member without notice, reason, or explanation.

Community members are encouraged to click the "Report Post" icon in the lower left of a given post if they feel the post is in violation of the rules. This will alert the Moderators to take a look.

Alpha Software Corporation may amend the guidelines from time to time and may also vary the procedures it sets out where appropriate in a particular case. Your agreement to comply with the guidelines will be deemed agreement to any changes to it.



Bonus TIPS for Successful Posting

Try a Search First
It is highly recommended that a Search be done on your topic before posting, as many questions have been answered in prior posts. As with any search engine, the shorter the search term, the more "hits" will be returned, but the more specific the search term is, the greater the relevance of those "hits". Searching for "table" might well return every message on the board while "tablesum" would greatly restrict the number of messages returned.

When you do post
First, make sure you are posting your question in the correct forum. For example, if you post an issue regarding Desktop applications on the Mobile & Browser Applications board , not only will your question not be seen by the appropriate audience, it may also be removed or relocated.

The more detail you provide about your problem or question, the more likely someone is to understand your request and be able to help. A sample database with a minimum of records (and its support files, zipped together) will make it much easier to diagnose issues with your application. Screen shots of error messages are especially helpful.

When explaining how to reproduce your problem, please be as detailed as possible. Describe every step, click-by-click and keypress-by-keypress. Otherwise when others try to duplicate your problem, they may do something slightly different and end up with different results.

A note about attachments
You may only attach one file to each message. Attachment file size is limited to 2MB. If you need to include several files, you may do so by zipping them into a single archive.

If you forgot to attach your files to your post, please do NOT create a new thread. Instead, reply to your original message and attach the file there.

When attaching screen shots, it is best to attach an image file (.BMP, .JPG, .GIF, .PNG, etc.) or a zip file of several images, as opposed to a Word document containing the screen shots. Because Word documents are prone to viruses, many message board users will not open your Word file, therefore limiting their ability to help you.

Similarly, if you are uploading a zipped archive, you should simply create a .ZIP file and not a self-extracting .EXE as many users will not run your EXE file.
See more
See less

SQL - How to Get Started?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    SQL - How to Get Started?

    I know there are other threads on getting started with SQL, but I'm still unclear. What do I acquire to get started?

    #1 oughta be a piece of software, right? If I get Microsoft's SQL Developer's Edition for $49.00, do I have everything I need?

    #2 oughta be an additional learning tool, like a book. Another thread on this board has, as one suggestion, a free download to Learn SQL in 21 Days. I got it already and intend to be much smarter in 3 weeks than I am today.

    Is this a good start? Am I headed the right direction? Am I missing something or doing something wrong. Dunno, but would love for someone to let me know.

    Expiring minds want to know....

    Thanks!
    -Steve
    sigpic

    #2
    Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

    Steve,

    You can also check out Mysql.com. If you want to play around, you can download all of the software you need for free.

    http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/

    The Mysql community server section is where you can download the free versions. It runs on windows, linux etc. You would probably want to download the Mysql GUI tools as well.


    I am just getting my feet wet as well, but the setup was pretty easy.

    Bill
    Bill Griffin
    Parkell, Inc

    Comment


      #3
      Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

      But if I have a customer that's specifying SQL, do I need SQL or can I also do everything I need with MySQL?
      -Steve
      sigpic

      Comment


        #4
        Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

        Steve,

        I would love to say SQl is SQL, but I am sure there are some differences between them and most are in the Tools that you use to get to the data, bot in the database engine themselves. SQL and MySql are a new world to me. If you are using Alpha as the front end, the differnces should be transparent. If your customer has some SQL guru, then they may have a preference. Is there a reason they are specifing SQL?? Are they already using a particular flavor on their website?

        Bill
        Bill Griffin
        Parkell, Inc

        Comment


          #5
          Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

          SQL stands for Structured Query Language

          It is a syntax/programming language for querying databases

          SQL is not a product, it is a programming language

          The SQL database is the product you need (mySQL is free), and that usually runs on a central server

          You usually set up your client PC to connect to the database via ODBC, or you set up a connection profile to the database from the web server, if you are talking about a web app...

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL
          Last edited by NoeticCC; 03-20-2008, 11:57 AM.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

            Originally posted by Steve Workings View Post
            But if I have a customer that's specifying SQL, do I need SQL or can I also do everything I need with MySQL?
            Your customer needs to specify better! There is no such thing as "SQL" (e.g. they don't own a database software/engine called SQL), see post before this one... What database engine/software do they own? Examples are mySQL, SQL Server, Oracle etc...

            Just have a read through the "Working with SQL Databases" bit of A5 help - that explains very clearly that SQL isn't a product or software, but that it is a variety of SQL Databases (products listed in the help entry) that you can connect to with A5: http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...ases_Title.htm
            Last edited by NoeticCC; 03-20-2008, 11:59 AM.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

              Thanks Andrea. I hadn't gone through that help. I'm working through it now. This isn't hard at all, and the guide is a very good start.
              -Steve
              sigpic

              Comment


                #8
                Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

                Originally posted by Steve Workings View Post
                Thanks Andrea. I hadn't gone through that help. I'm working through it now. This isn't hard at all, and the guide is a very good start.
                There's sooo much in that help file... unfortunately some of the bits relating to Oracle (which is our database system - the bits I couldn't get to work turned out to be a bug anyway and are now fixed :) ) were not very detailed, but I always find it best to start swotting up on these things in a way that actually relates to A5, because you can become an expert in a database and in SQL queries and still not have a clue how it applies to A5.

                Of course, that help file "only" relates to A5V8, just read everything relating to passive link tables (e.g. you can read from SQL databases but only write to them using Xbasic or through a web form/grid control) with the notion in mind that V9 also has active link tables, which let you update data in an SQL database from web forms too :)

                It does sort of sound like what your customer is after is a web front end though, for which theoretically V8 Enterprise would do the trick :)

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

                  Hi Steve,

                  Possibly repeating some of what others have said, I would start by downloading the free version of MYSQL along with whatever free tools they have. What I did is also download the free version of DBManager from http://www.dbtools.com.br/

                  I found DBManager to be be very helpful for troubleshooting and dealing more directly with a mysql database and its tables. You can use it to create tables and a database to experiment with, plus you can use it as an A5 independent way to change data, see what should be in an active link field (testing), etc..

                  In any case, set up a test mysql database on your development machine and then use the A5 tools to play with it. I think it is best to start by using the genies to connect and do all kinds of things and then maybe later to you use what you learn to do other things more directly with xbasic, etc.

                  Be aware (as others have said) all the various SQL databases (mysql, sql server, Oracle, etc.) do things slightly differently. If you let it, A5 takes care of most of these differences but not all. For example, I think it is still true that in A5 for a mysql DB that has a stored procedure, if you want to call the stored procedure you have to put "call" in front of the name of the stored procedure--something you do not have to do with sql server.

                  Good luck and get on it quickly so I can come to you for help!

                  Ray

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

                    This is for a web front end. Big project that'll use V9.
                    -Steve
                    sigpic

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

                      Originally posted by Steve Workings View Post
                      This is for a web front end. Big project that'll use V9.
                      OK but just FYI you don't need V9 to work fully with SQL databases with web front ends... :)

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

                        PostgreSQL is another SQL engine that's free - you can find it here:
                        http://www.postgresql.org/

                        Connects with JDBC, although I believe it works with ODBC as well (never tried that myself)
                        It is easier to get older than wiser

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

                          Originally posted by Raymond Lyons View Post
                          Be aware (as others have said) all the various SQL databases (mysql, sql server, Oracle, etc.) do things slightly differently. If you let it, A5 takes care of most of these differences but not all. For example, I think it is still true that in A5 for a mysql DB that has a stored procedure, if you want to call the stored procedure you have to put "call" in front of the name of the stored procedure--something you do not have to do with sql server.
                          True, theoretically the "portable" SQL syntax in A5 should work on all supported databases but I have found that a lot of the joins etc. need to be coded in native Oracle syntax in our case... that may be due to how our database was set up (long before A5) though... Although I get the same problems with Oracle 9i and XE too...

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

                            Originally posted by mariusm View Post
                            PostgreSQL is another SQL engine that's free - you can find it here:
                            http://www.postgresql.org/
                            I haven't tried this against V9 Platinum but didn't manage to get it to work properly in the query genie etc. Unlike Postgres, mySQL is fully supported by A5 and seems to work well, you can even create tables from the connection string manager, even in V8.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: SQL - How to Get Started?

                              I played with it and Java and RR, but not with Alpha. I'll have to try.
                              It is easier to get older than wiser

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X