June
Fourth
2009


From: Bob Zale, President
      PowerBASIC, Inc.

PowerBASIC Gazette #68
======================

Subject: Database Programming with PowerBASIC
=============================================


There's important news from the Gazette...  I'd like to take a moment
of your time to tell you about one of the most important "Add-On"
products for PowerBASIC.  Perfect Sync SQL Tools.  You can have it in
your hands this afternoon.  It's just that simple.

If you need Database Management in your code, you need SQL Tools 2.
Stay with me, I'll convince you.  In fact, I'll start the story right
at the beginning.


                So Just What is SQL?


SQL stands for "Structured Query Language".  Some folks pronounce it
"Ess-Cue-Ell", and some say "Sequel", but most everyone agrees it's
a very powerful database tool.  The syntax of the language resembles
BASIC, but it may even be closer to plain natural English.  Let's
suppose your instructions were:

    "Give me all of the records in my AddressBook database where
    the value in the State field is "California", the Age of the
    person is greater than 18, and the PhoneNumber field is not
    blank. Show me the FirstName, LastName, City, and PhoneNumber
    fields, and sort the records in ascending order by ZipCode."

Imagine writing the code to do that procedurally.  It wouldn't be
trivial.  Do it with SQL in a single statement:

    SELECT FirstName, LastName, City, PhoneNumber FROM AddressBook
    WHERE State = 'California' AND Age > 18 AND PhoneNumber <> '',
    ORDER BY ZipCode

Issue that request, then read the data.  It's just that simple.  No
worries about file formats, indexes, linked lists, hash tables, or
anything else.  Construct a simple string, and the database does
your work for you.  Of course, SQL is a complete database language.
You can insert, delete, or update data, search, sort, and select
with equal ease.

SQL Databases are Relational Databases.  Suppose you need to store
product orders.  Create a SQL table (like a grid) called Orders,
with a CustomerNumber column, a QuantityOrdered Column, and a
ProductNumber column.  Then create a table called Customers that
contains a CustomerNumber column, a CustomerName column, and a
CustomerAddress column.  Now, create a table called Products, with
columns called ProductNumber, ProductName, and Product Price.  The
beauty of a relational database?  Each unique value is stored only
once.  Even if 10,000 different customers order your special product
"Acme Industries Super-Widget 2000", that string will appear in the
database once.  When the text name is needed, the system finds it
automatically.  Perhaps even better, when the product name changes
to "Acme Industries Super-Widget 2000 Plus", you change it once,
and every record in the database reflects it instantly.

SQL databases are also Multi-User.  Twenty clerks can enter orders
at the same time that reports are generated or products redefined.
The bottom line is simply this:  SQL becomes a database management
language of its own, encapsulated within PowerBASIC, or even some
other programming language when necessary.  A very powerful tool
for your applications!


            How Does SQL Tools Fit in this Picture?


SQL Tools offers a straightforward interface to ODBC, the Windows
Open Database Connectivity Engine.  ODBC is an integral part of
32-bit Windows, and is automatically installed in all but the
earliest versions.  Even then, it's just a free download from the
Microsoft Web Site.

SQL Tools, and the simple language shown above, will work with
virtually any database compatible with ODBC.  And Performance?
It's absolutely better or equal to ODBC!


            SQL Tools works with virtually any DataBase!


Microsoft Access, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, Btrieve, dBase, Paradox,
Excel, FoxPro, and more...  In fact, ODBC drivers are available
for more than 50 popular databases, and toolkits are available for
writing custom drivers.  SQL Tools provides compatibility with the
ODBC Version 3.5, Level 2 specification, which is the current state
of the art for ODBC databases.  Complete ODBC 3.5 support means
you can read and write .MDB files without using Microsoft Access...
You can read and write .DBF files without using FoxPro or dBase...
You don't have to use any DBMS software!  The bottom line is that
SQL Tools provides very fast, very efficient, access to almost any
popular database files in the PowerBASIC tradition - WITH NO BLOAT!


            What Does a SQL Tools Program Look Like?


Here's the PowerBASIC source for a simple program that opens a
database, retrieves all of the data from a table, and saves it to
a text file:

  FUNCTION PBMain
      OPEN "\SQL-DUMP.TXT" FOR OUTPUT AS #1
      SQL_OpenDatabase "DSN=SYS1; UID=JOHN; PWD=;"
      SQL_Statement %IMMEDIATE, "SELECT * FROM ADDRESSBOOK"
      DO
          SQL_Fetch %NEXT_ROW
          IF SQL_EndOfData THEN EXIT LOOP
          PRINT #1,SQL_ResultColumnText(%ALL_COLs)
      LOOP
      CLOSE #1
  END FUNCTION

Database doesn't get much easier, does it?  A fully functional
SQL Tools program in that very small space!  Don't be fooled
by the simplicity, though...  SQL Tools provides everything
you'll need to build powerful, flexible, multi-user programs.


        What's the Difference Between Standard and Pro?


SQL Tools Standard contains all of the functions you'll need to
create programs which read and modify SQL databases. The entire
text-based, single-statement SQL language is supported. SQL Tools
imposes no limitations on the SQL syntax supported by your ODBC
drivers.  And of course, you can distribute either SQL Tools DLL
with no additional cost or royalty expense.

SQL Tools Standard allows a program to have one or two databases
open at the same time, and each database can use one or two SQL
statements at a time.

SQL Tools Pro supports up to 256 databases by one program, each
having up to 256 concurrent SQL statements.  You also get...

     * Manual Commit/Rollback of Transactions
     * Stored Procedures (pre-compiled SQL statements)
     * Batched SQL Statements
     * Bound Statement Parameters, with Long values and arrays
     * Relative Fetches
     * Bookmarks
     * Support for MultiRow (Block) Cursors
     * Bulk Operations
     * Positioned Operations
     * Named Cursors
     * Connection Pooling
     * Multithreaded Operation
     * Low level SQL/ODBC Diagnostics
     * Extended Info Functions...


                What Will I Need To Use SQL Tools?


You'll need a 32-bit Windows operating system, like Win98, Win2000,
WinXP, or WinVista, a 32-bit compiler (like PowerBASIC for Windows or
PowerBASIC Console Compiler), and the ODBC Driver for the database you
want to use.  Free ODBC drivers for most databases are available.

If you want to design a complex relational database (as opposed to
working with an existing database) you may wish to consider getting
a GUI-based "DBMS" database management software, such as Microsoft
Access or Oracle SQL*Plus. Of course, if you distribute a program,
you only need to distribute the ODBC driver, never a DBMS package.


                What's Included With SQL Tools?


You'll get SQL Tools with royalty-free distribution rights, the SQL
Demo DLL, and the huge SQL Tools Help File.   You'll get all the
$INCLUDE files you'll need, and even sample programs with a database.

SQL Tools Documentation is provided in Windows Help File Format, and
it offers a lot.  More than 800 pages, filled with function examples,
tips and techniques, with many Windows, ODBC and SQL related topics.
It's also available in Adobe PDF format to allow easy printing,
searching, and annotation.


                How do I get even more information?

Simple...  Just GOTO http://www.powerbasic.com/products/sqltools/


                So how do I buy SQL Tools today?

That's the easy part!  SQL Tools Standard is priced at just $99.95,
while the Pro Version is $199.95.  So please don't wait...  you can
purchase right on the PowerBASIC Web Site.

         GOTO www.powerbasic.com  --  <click> PURCHASE

====================================================================

All contents Copyright (c) 2009 PowerBASIC Inc  All Rights Reserved.
PowerBASIC, PB/CC, PB/DLL, PowerGEN, and PowerTREE are trademarks of
PowerBASIC Inc.  Other names are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their owners.

====================================================================

              PowerBASIC Gazette - Electronic Edition
                       Volume 1 - Issue 68

Visit us on the World Wide Web at www.powerbasic.com
Email Sales:  sales@powerbasic.com

This newsletter is only sent to email addresses in our subscription
list.  If you have received this newsletter by mistake or no longer
wish to receive it, please send a simple unsubscribe request to
support@powerbasic.com with your name and zip/postal code.

This newsletter is best viewed with a fixed-width font.

====================================================================