SQL Newbies List?

[My apologies if this message arrives twice-- I sent it earlier, but it didn't show up on the list, so I am resending it now] I recently downloaded and installed a free copy of INFORMIX-SE 7.24.UC5 on my Linux machine. I had some fairly basic questions about SQL/ESQL/forms/views/etc, so I thought I'd join this list/newsgroup. However, looking over the newsgroup archives, I realized that it is far too high-level for me! Before I unsubscribe, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a more appropriate list for SQL "newbies" such as myself. I am including a sample of the types of questions I have below. I appreciate any help! Sample questions I have: % How do I limit a field to specific text (or numeric) values? % Availability of intelligent web interfaces for adding/editing data on tables/views. % Spreadsheet-like functions on tables, including references to the "previous row" (under some specific sort condition of course) % Object-oriented databases using SE % User-defined field types % Using ESQL with Perl and/or Java % Writing DB procedures in an external language (Perl/Java/etc) % Forms that auto-update when the underlying table(s) receive a DELETE, UPDATE, or INSERT operation. % Time-travel: preserving older versions of tables, so I can ask questions like "what did this database look like two months ago". % Arbitrarily long text fields, BLOBs. % General newbie questions on views, cursors, forms and schema. Thanks again for any help!

mathprof@bigfoot.com wrote: > > [My apologies if this message arrives twice-- I sent it earlier, but it > didn't show up on the list, so I am resending it now] Didn't see your initial post. Welcome and please stay. > I recently downloaded and installed a free copy of INFORMIX-SE 7.24.UC5 on > my Linux machine. Great! > I had some fairly basic questions about SQL/ESQL/forms/views/etc, so I > thought I'd join this list/newsgroup. However, looking over the newsgroup > archives, I realized that it is far too high-level for me! Don't go away. While there is usually mostly discussion of using Informix in a large enterprise environment we welcome all comers and will try to answer your questions as well. Stay because you may learn something useful from the other posts. In addition you should check out the support newsgroups on the Informix Developer's Network. Membership is free for the asking and you can subscribe online at the Informix WEB site if you have not done so already. Go to the Linux IDN page and select User Forum and the informix.idn.linux newsgroup. > Before I unsubscribe, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a more > appropriate list for SQL "newbies" such as myself. I am including a sample > of the types of questions I have below. I appreciate any help! > > Sample questions I have: I'll answer any that I can and leave the rest for others: > % How do I limit a field to specific text (or numeric) values? If you mean at the database/table/column level you can add a CHECK COMSTRAINT to the column: create table office (... bldg_no check (IN (12, 14, 22, 35)), dept not null check (select dept_no from departments), ... ); > % Availability of intelligent web interfaces for adding/editing data on > tables/views. > % Spreadsheet-like functions on tables, including references to the > "previous row" (under some specific sort condition of course) With a SCROLL cursor you can use FETCH NEXT, FETCH PREVIOUS, FETCH Nth, FETCH FIRST, FETCH LAST. Of course this requires a programming language, like I4GL or ESQL/C, that supports cursors, but you do have ESQL/C. > % Object-oriented databases using SE You have to fake it. Informix Dynamic Server with Universal Data Option supports object relational databases directly. Don't give up hope we may yet see UDO for Linux (we never thought we'd see SE or IDS for Linux either when we started advocating for it). > % User-defined field types Again IDS/UDO is required. > % Using ESQL with Perl and/or Java Check out Jonathan Leffler's implementation of DBD/Informix for Perl at the DBD site (scan the archives of this group at the IIUG WEB site for the location I never remember). > % Writing DB procedures in an external language (Perl/Java/etc) You need to wait for IDS/UDO 9.2 due '99Q3 for Java procedures. And again we'll have to wait for a Linux version of that too, if and when. > % Forms that auto-update when the underlying table(s) receive a DELETE, > UPDATE, or INSERT operation. Best you can do is have a trigger execute an external program that uses pipes or TCP/IP other IPC to signal your app to update the display. > % Time-travel: preserving older versions of tables, so I can ask questions > like "what did this database look like two months ago". Use dbaccess to save older schemas or rename the old table and create a new one with the new schema copying the data so the original is still online. > % Arbitrarily long text fields, BLOBs. Not in SE. Variable length data types (VARCHAR, TEXT, DATA) are supported by all IDS versions (5.xx, 7.xx, 8.xx, 9.xx) but not by SE. > % General newbie questions on views, cursors, forms and schema. Ask away. We get these ALL the time. This is a very friendly group where hardly anyone is flamed (OK I am guilty of about one flame a year but I had mine for 1999 two weeks ago so you are safe) and almost everyone gets an answer or 100 answers. > Thanks again for any help! You are welcome, in both senses of the word. Art S. Kagel