ANN: Asking about DBD::Informix in comp.databases.informix
On 29th June 2000, I asked the comp.databases.informix news group whether I should change my current policy that questions about DBD::Informix should not be asked in that forum. I've received a number of replies, and there is a definite consensus that questions about DBD::Informix are appropriate for the comp.databases.informix news group. Consequently, the policy is changing in response to customer demand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Questions About DBD::Informix in the comp.databases.informix News Group. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ With effect from 1st July 2000, it is permissible to post questions about DBD::Informix to the comp.databases.informix news group, or to the informix-list@iiug.org mailing list, which is a gateway to the news group. Restrictions: 1. The preferred channels of communication are those documented in the 1.00.PC1 (or later) release notes. The dbi-users@isc.org mailing list should be used for all general questions and problems related to Perl, DBI and DBD::Informix. For specific problems with DBD::Informix (eg installation woes), the dbd-informix@informix.com mail alias provides support. 2. You can subscribe to the dbi-users@isc.org mailing list by visiting the URL: http://www.isc.org/dbi-lists.html 3. Questions about installing Perl or DBI are not appropriate in the comp.databases.informix news group. DBI problems should be dealt with via the dbi-users@isc.org mailing list. Perl problems should be dealt with through the Perl news groups. Assuming that your question is posted to comp.databases.informix: 4. In general, acceptable questions and the answers to those questions will be forwarded to the dbi-users@isc.org mailing list as well as the news group. 5. If you want a response from the maintainers of DBD::Informix, it is mandatory that the message includes the version of Perl, the version of DBI, the version of DBD::Informix, the version of ESQL/C or CSDK, and the name and version of the operating system you are using. Any postings without this information will simply be ignored for several days just to see whether anyone else answers the questions, and will then receive a copy of this policy document. 6. If you have the products installed successfully, the following script will yield most of the necessary information. perl -MDBI -e ' my $drh = DBI->install_driver("Informix"); print "Perl Version $]\\n"; print "DBI Version $DBI::VERSION\\n"; print "DBD::Informix Version $drh->{Version}\\n"; print "$drh->{ix_ProductName}\\n";' 7. If you are having problems installing DBD::Informix, you should know which version of DBD::Informix you're trying to install, and enough about what you're doing to know to be able to run: perl -V perl -MDBI -e 'print "DBI Version $DBI::VERSION\\n";' esql -V 8. If you are having problems installing DBD::Informix, read the README file and use the BugReport script. If you don't have the BugReport script, upgrade your version of DBD::Informix to 1.00.PC1 or later. If you don't have the source code because someone else is doing the work for you, either get the someone else to read the README file and use the BugReport script or obtain the source yourself from CPAN and read the README file and use the BugReport script. http://www.cpan.org/ http://www.perl.com/CPAN 9. In general, you should have read the documentation, including the README file, before trying to ask questions about the installation of DBD::Informix. 10. In general, you should have read the 'perldoc DBI' and 'perldoc DBD::Informix' documentation, before you try asking questions about general usage of DBD::Informix. 11. In general, you should read the book "Programming the Perl DBI" by Tim Bunce and Alligator Descartes, published by O'Reilly, February 2000, ISBN 1-56592-699-4 (http://www.oreilly.com). 12. In general, before asking usage questions, you should check the DBI FAQs web site at http://www.symbolstone.org/technology/perl/DBI. 13. Your example programs should include -w on the #!/usr/bin/perl line. Your DBI->connect() statement should include the {RaiseError=>1} attribute. Ideally, you will use DBD::Informix::TestHarness and $dbh = connect_to_test_database({RaiseError=>1}); to connect to the database. If you don't have DBD::Informix::TestHarness, it is time to upgrade your version of DBD::Informix. If none of this makes any sense to you, please learn Perl before asking questions! And look at the test code distributed with the DBD::Informix source. Note: to subscribe to the informix-list@iiug.org mailing list, send a message to majordomo@iiug.org with "subscribe informix-list" on a line on its own in the body of the message. Either omit your signature or leave a line consisting of just two dashes before your signature. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Policy last changed: 2000-06-30 by Jonathan Leffler (jleffler@acm.org). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Yours, Jonathan Leffler (Jonathan.Leffler@Informix.com) #include <disclaimer.h> Guardian of DBD::Informix v1.00.PC1 -- http://www.perl.com/CPAN "I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it!"