Sql Articles

Tom Snyder
Here are some articles that I have written that I hope you will find useful. The articles are a mix of multiple languages, including but not limited to RPG, Java, C#, C++ and PHP. You can find the articles published on MCPressOnline.com and some that are exclusive to this site. Enjoy!

TechTip: Installing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express on Your Local Machine

Submitted by TSnyder on Fri, 01/18/2013 - 8:36pm
Feature Article - Developer Article

Expand your skills from the perspective of an RPG developer: Keep your IBM database close; keep your Microsoft database closer with Microsoft SQL Server.

tom_snyder.jpgBy Tom Snyder

As a writer for MC Press, I understand how the sentiments on Microsoft can be, and I just happen to be watching The Godfather while putting this article together, so I thought that keeping your friends close and your enemies closer would be a good opener for my new series on Microsoft products.


Read More >>
 
 
Articles: 
SQL

Update Your Data with Peace of Mind Using Commitment Control

Submitted by TSnyder on Wed, 03/21/2012 - 6:35pm
Feature Article - Developer Article

Learn how to use commitment control in your RPG programs to ensure a complete transaction and how to roll back the changes when unable to complete.

I'm usually talking about powerful IBM i resources that can do great things with minimal work. Commands such as those need to be treated with respect and tested well to ensure that you'll get the expected results. In this article, I'll be taking a step back to talk about some safety measures that you could take to protect the integrity of your data by using commitment control within your code.


Read More >>
 
 
Articles: 
IBM i
RPG
SQL

Get the Day of the Week, Full Text Date Values, and More Within RPG Using SQL

Submitted by TSnyder on Wed, 01/18/2012 - 10:30am
Feature Article - Developer Article

Create useful date-centric service programs with embedded SQL.

Welcome to 2012! All of our year-end processes are complete, and it's the beginning of a new year with a clean slate. 2011 was a very clean year date-wise because it ended on a Saturday. Typically, there is always special handling with the last week of the year for one reason or the other, which makes working with data a prevalent topic. For this article, I wanted to share a few handy little SQL functions that I've put into service programs to extend the existing RPG date resources. And this is all done with very minimal code in a reliable way that is highly reusable.


Read More >>
 
 
Articles: 
IBM i
RPG
SQL

Library Lists, Schemas, and Other Properties in SQuirreL SQL Client

Submitted by TSnyder on Wed, 04/20/2011 - 11:00am
Feature Article - Developer Article

Configure the SQuirreL alias properties and preferences commonly used by RPG programmers.

To complete my SQuirreL SQL client series, I will explain how to set up your schema and alias properties, such as library lists, and your formatting within the SQuirreL SQL client. I will also talk about how these settings impact your client to achieve the results that you desire.


Read More >>
Articles: 
RPG
IBM i
SQL

Use SQuirreL SQL During RPG Development with Embedded SQL

Submitted by TSnyder on Wed, 03/16/2011 - 11:41am
Feature Article - Developer Article

Any OS, any programming language, any database—SQuirreL is a perfect fit for almost any situation involving SQL!

In a previous article, I showed you how to install the SQuirreL SQL client to run interactive SQL on your IBM i. With all the new stuff to learn about and all the options that are out there, sometimes a little introduction to the basics will be all it takes to get rolling. In this article, I'll cover some of my favorite features that come with it.


Read More >>
Articles: 
RPG
IBM i
SQL

An Open-Source DB2 SQL Graphical Tool That You Can Use for All Your Databases

Submitted by TSnyder on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 10:04am
Feature Article - Developer Article

Install SQuirreL SQL client to run interactive SQL on your IBM i.

As you start using embedded SQL more frequently within your RPG code, you'll soon find that your SQL statements are becoming larger and larger and the interactive SQL tool on the green-screen starts becoming quite cumbersome. In this article, I will introduce Squirrel SQL, which is an open-source SQL client that gives you not only a better interface to your DB2 database, but also access to numerous other databases.


Read More >>
Articles: 
RPG
IBM i
SQL

Oracle Drops the Ball with MySQL on the i. Will IBM or Zend Pick It Up and Run With It?

Submitted by TSnyder on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 8:41am
Feature Article - Developer Article

With Oracle announcing end of life for IBM i distributions of MySQL, I'll discuss the potential for alternatives of MySQL on the i.

Oracle has decided to no longer support MySQL on the IBM i, and I for one am very disappointed in this recent announcement. When I first heard that you could run MySQL on the IBM i, I initially thought to myself, "Why would I want to use the MySQL database when I have DB2?" In this article, I intend to tell you why you would want to and why it's such a loss that Oracle will no longer be providing IBM i binaries. I'll also explain some of the options that we have without it.


Read More >>
Articles: 
RPG
Linux
IBM i
Drupal
SQL

Format and Compile RPG to Use Embedded SQL

Submitted by TSnyder on Thu, 11/18/2010 - 3:47pm
Feature Article - Developer Article

Let's explore the nuts and bolts of using embedded SQL: file type, syntax, and compiling.

In a previous article, "Why Use Embedded SQL Within RPG?", I talked about why you would use embedded SQL in RPG. In this article, I will talk about how you could use embedded SQL within RPG. We'll start with an existing RPG program that is written with CHAIN and READ, and then we'll convert it to use embedded SQL.


Read More >>
Articles: 
RPG
IBM i
SQL

Why Use Embedded SQL Within RPG?

Submitted by TSnyder on Wed, 10/20/2010 - 8:48am
Feature Article - Developer Article

Let's evaluate the reasons you might want to take this approach.

You've heard about embedded SQL and maybe you've tried embedded SQL, but you may be asking yourself, "Why would I use embedded SQL?" That's the course that I have taken. Of course, when a new capability comes out, I am usually eager to start digging into it and figuring out how it works. And I have done that with SQL, but I couldn't easily find a reason to justify its use until recently.


Read More >>
Articles: 
RPG
Java
PHP
SQL

Create, Format, and Export SQL Dates and Times Using DB2

Submitted by TSnyder on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 10:55pm
Feature Article - Developer Article

After reading this article, you'll never worry about date formats again.

My recent articles on exporting data have generated a number of questions on formatting dates with SQL. So let's explore SQL dates by looking at how to create date fields in physical files, insert dates into physical files, and export the dates in different formats.


Read More >>
Articles: 
RPG
IBM i
SQL

Pages

more