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If you are connecting your dBASE Plus application to an SQL database, you need to configure your SQL Links Driver and BDE to access your SQL database. In this procedure, you create an alias that BDE uses to locate the SQL database. You then add this alias to the Database object on your dBASE Plus form or report.

Install and configure the server software

Consult the documentation for your SQL database management system product for specific guidance on the initial steps of the following general procedure (specific product requirements may differ).

  1. Make sure you have properly installed the client software for the database management system product to which you want to connect (Oracle, Sybase, InterBase, IBM DB2, MS SQL Server or Informix).

  2. Define server names or other connection strings in the product’s required configuration files. For example, in Oracle, TNSNAMES.ORA, or in Sybase, SQL.INI, and so on.

  3. Test the connection by using the database vendor’s connection utility (such as Sybase’s SYBPING.EXE). If you cannot "ping" the server with this utility, BDE and dBASE Plus will probably not be able to access it either.

  4. Make sure that both BDE and the SQL Links drivers are properly installed. The SQL Links drivers are included with the dConnections connectivity component for dBASE Plus. If properly installed, the SQL Links drivers for Oracle, Sybase, InterBase, IBM DB2, Ms SQL Server and Informix appear on the Configuration page of the BDE Administrator, which is available from the dBASE Plus program group off the Start menu.

Configure the Borland Database Engine (BDE)

The Borland Database Engine (formerly called IDAPI) allows dBASE Plus to share data with supported SQL databases, Access 95/97, and FoxPro. If you’ll be connecting to any of these databases, you must assign aliases to them and otherwise configure BDE with the parameters of the database.

To create an alias and configure the BDE,

  1. Open the BDE Administrator (BDEADMIN.EXE), available from your dBASE Plus program group.

  2. Click the Databases tab.

  3. Right-click and choose New to create a new alias.

  4. Enter the full path to the database, including the file name when appropriate.

  5. Click the Configuration tab and set the appropriate parameters in the Definition panel.

Parameters may vary according to vendor.

Parameters in bold cannot be changed.

To accommodate record locking in a Windows NT server environment, it is necessary to set the BDE's localShare parameter to "true".

Note

If you're creating a new ODBC alias, you must define its DSN before you can connect to that database.

You’ll find complete instructions in the BDE Administrator Help system. Press F1 with the cursor in any parameter for information on that parameter.