Article:		Open Database Connectivity in Jaguar
Subject:		Kind of a difficult way to manage a database
Date:		2003-07-31 08:02:09
From:		anonymous2
A much easier way is to use a tool like DataDino that has drivers built in. Try this, I dare you. Click on the link below or paste it into your browser: http://www.datadino.com/dbexplorer/datadino.jnlp I'll bet you that within 30 seconds of clicking that link, you'll be happily logged into your MySQL database. Or SQL Server if you prefer. Do ODBC drivers for SQL Server even exist under Mac OS X?

Showing messages 1 through 3 of 3.

• re: Kind of a difficult way to manage a database
  2003-07-31 08:46:18  Andrew Anderson | [View]
  
  
  Are you some paid spokeman for DataDino that just does not understand ODBC ?
  
  After looking at DataDino's website it is obvious that DataDino is a database management tool, much like dozens of other free and commercial products on the market. Database management tools are exactly as their name implies, tools to help you manage a database, ie/ test or update queries, look at data, check stored procedures (if they are applicable to the given system), etc.
  
  ODBC is an industry standard protocol for accessing datasources without having to worry about knowing a closed interface to a given database system. This allows application writers to write generic code so they can access any complaint database without regard for who the vendor was, so long as the vendor or some outside source provided ODBC complaint drivers.
  
  Explain to me how DataDino can be used to get data from a MySQL database into an Excel spreadsheet or a Word document, without saving a file or copying and pasting.
  
  BTW ODBC drivers do exist for SQL Server under Mac OS X, Openlink SW provides them as well as ODBC drivers for almost any possible combination of OS and databse. Sybase (the actual authors of SQL Server, not Microsoft) also provide a full version of SQL Server on the Macintosh.
  
  Andrew
• re: Kind of a difficult way to manage a database
  2003-11-19 21:47:30  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  Hi,
  
  In regards to the comment about Sybase and SQL server, I did not know that. Are you saying that there are free drivers for SQL server ODBC on OSX from Sybase? If so where can I find these!? The reason I ask is that the openlink SQL server drivers start at $99 and really for many uses you would need the $495.
  
  This is one thing that I wish Apple would take the lead from Microsoft and provide all sorts of ODBC drivers with the OS like Windows does. I mean really what good is an ODBC manager without a driver???
  
  Great article by the way.
• re: Kind of a difficult way to manage a database
  2003-11-19 23:43:33  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  Unfortunately as far as I know that only Sybase/MS SQL Server drivers available for OS X are from OpenLink.
  
  The point I was making in the comments was that it was possible to connect to these db's from OS X, not that the drivers were free or cheap.
  
  I agree that Apple could be a lot more proactive about including ODBC features in general in OS X.
  
  Glad you liked the article.
  
  Andrew