DBAccess Replacement
A user on IDS 9.4 found DBAccess annoying and asked for a better free alternative. Replies first asked what features he actually wanted (GUI admin, script runner, data browser). For command-line users wanting history and editing, suggestions included piping SQL to dbaccess from ksh/bash with shell history (e.g. echo 'select ...;' | dbaccess db -), Marco Greco's curses-based sqsl from 4glworks, and Jonathan Leffler's SQLCMD (v77.03) in the IIUG Software Archive. Another poster recommended AGS Server Studio, noting a basic version ships with IDS. No single choice was settled on.
Auto-generated by DrWatson from the posts below — may be imperfect; read the full thread.
Hi, I have upgraded to IDS 9.4 and have continued using DBAccess now for several months. I've noticed, however, some annoyances with DBAccess that are forcing me to quickly find another utility. Can anyone recommend an alternate tool with the same capabilities? I've briefly seen Server Studio but surely IBM/Informix must provide a free modernized tool to its subscribers. Thank you, Tony
Tony, I'm not sure that I can help you, unless I know what features you'd like to see that aren't present in DBACCESS. For the record, the tool has served me fairly well through all of the versions that I've worked with. Are you looking for an administrative GUI? Are you looking for a script runner? Are you looking for a database data display tool? What functions within DBAccess are you looking to enhance? Let me know, and I'll take a shot at finding something you'll like better. Thanks. Dan Michaelis Database Administrator/Developer eOriginal 351 West Camden Street Suite 800 Baltimore, MD 21201 410.625.5187 (phone) 410.659.9799 (fax) -----Original Message----- From: Demeis, Tony [mailto:Tony.Demeis@moh.gov.on.ca] Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 4:13 PM To: ids@iiug.org Subject: DBAccess Replacement [4502] Hi, I have upgraded to IDS 9.4 and have continued using DBAccess now for several months. I've noticed, however, some annoyances with DBAccess that are forcing me to quickly find another utility. Can anyone recommend an alternate tool with the same capabilities? I've briefly seen Server Studio but surely IBM/Informix must provide a free modernized tool to its subscribers. Thank you, Tony
Speaking for myself, I always use the command line interface (never the GUI). What I'd like to see is something with a history mechanism and some basic command line editing (e.g., recall the last SQL statement, edit it, and reexecute it). Mike At 01:59 PM 3/14/2005, Michaelis, .... wrote: >Tony, > >I'm not sure that I can help you, unless I know what features you'd like to >see that aren't present in DBACCESS. For the record, the tool has served me >fairly well through all of the versions that I've worked with. > >Are you looking for an administrative GUI? Are you looking for a script >runner? Are you looking for a database data display tool? What functions >within DBAccess are you looking to enhance? > >Let me know, and I'll take a shot at finding something you'll like better. > >Thanks. > >Dan Michaelis > >Database Administrator/Developer >eOriginal >351 West Camden Street >Suite 800 >Baltimore, MD 21201 > >410.625.5187 (phone) >410.659.9799 (fax) > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Demeis, Tony [mailto:Tony.Demeis@moh.gov.on.ca] >Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 4:13 PM >To: ids@iiug.org >Subject: DBAccess Replacement [4502] > >Hi, > >I have upgraded to IDS 9.4 and have continued using DBAccess now for several >months. I've noticed, however, some annoyances with DBAccess that are >forcing me to quickly find another utility. Can anyone recommend an >alternate tool with the same capabilities? I've briefly seen Server Studio >but surely IBM/Informix must provide a free modernized tool to its >subscribers. > >Thank you, >Tony ---------------------------------------------- Michael Dunham-Wilkie, M.Sc., M.P.A. Senior Database Analyst Barrodale Computing Services Ltd. Tel: (250) 472-4372 Fax: (250) 472-4373 Web: <http://www.barrodale.com>http://www.barrodale.com Email: mike@barrodale.com ---------------------------------------------- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3075 STN CSC Victoria BC Canada V8W 3W2 Shipping Address: Hut R, McKenzie Avenue University of Victoria Victoria BC Canada V8W 3W2 ----------------------------------------------
hmm.
Using a shell that allows command line editing
[e.g. "ksh" or "bash" (after "set -o vi")] it is no problem to
edit and re-execute statements, like :
$ echo 'select name from sysdatabases;' | dbaccess sysmaster -
Using the normal shell command history and editing functionality,
it is no problem to do all that fancy stuff, even for multi-line
statements.
[ One of the universal and powerful features of UNIX is the
simple pipe concept ... ]
Regards,
Martin
--
Martin Fuerderer
IBM Informix Development Munich, Germany
Information Management
forum.subscriber@iiug.org wrote on 15.03.2005 01:33:57:
>
> Speaking for myself, I always use the command line interface (never the
> GUI). What I'd like to see is something with a history mechanism and
some
> basic command line editing (e.g., recall the last SQL statement, edit
it,
> and reexecute it).
>
> Mike
>
> At 01:59 PM 3/14/2005, Michaelis, .... wrote:
> >Tony,
> >
> >I'm not sure that I can help you, unless I know what features you'd
like to
> >see that aren't present in DBACCESS. For the record, the tool has
served me
> >fairly well through all of the versions that I've worked with.
> >
> >Are you looking for an administrative GUI? Are you looking for a
script
> >runner? Are you looking for a database data display tool? What
functions
> >within DBAccess are you looking to enhance?
> >
> >Let me know, and I'll take a shot at finding something you'll like
better.
> >
> >Thanks.
> >
> >Dan Michaelis
> >
> >Database Administrator/Developer
> >eOriginal
> >351 West Camden Street
> >Suite 800
> >Baltimore, MD 21201
> >
> >410.625.5187 (phone)
> >410.659.9799 (fax)
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Demeis, Tony [mailto:Tony.Demeis@moh.gov.on.ca]
> >Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 4:13 PM
> >To: ids@iiug.org
> >Subject: DBAccess Replacement [4502]
> >
> >Hi,
> >
> >I have upgraded to IDS 9.4 and have continued using DBAccess now for
several
> >months. I've noticed, however, some annoyances with DBAccess that are
> >forcing me to quickly find another utility. Can anyone recommend an
> >alternate tool with the same capabilities? I've briefly seen Server
Studio
> >but surely IBM/Informix must provide a free modernized tool to its
> >subscribers.
> >
> >Thank you,
> >Tony
>
> ----------------------------------------------
> Michael Dunham-Wilkie, M.Sc., M.P.A.
> Senior Database Analyst
> Barrodale Computing Services Ltd.
> Tel: (250) 472-4372 Fax: (250) 472-4373
> Web: <http://www.barrodale.com>http://www.barrodale.com
> Email: mike@barrodale.com
> ----------------------------------------------
> Mailing Address:
> P.O. Box 3075 STN CSC
> Victoria BC Canada V8W 3W2
>
> Shipping Address:
> Hut R, McKenzie Avenue
> University of Victoria
> Victoria BC Canada V8W 3W2
> ----------------------------------------------
>
<SHAMELESS PLUG>
You could consider using sqsl (see
http://www.4glworks.com/4wrcsqll.htm#FGWLANGREF ).
Currently it's implemented as a curses based dbaccess replacement, written as
part of an application framework for 4gl (named 4glworks), but last month I
have taken the time to extract it from the application framework,
autoconfiscate it, and repackage it, and I will be submitting tit to the IIUG
software archive as soon as I have the time to check that I have polished the
new package enough. If you want, I can send you, the new distribution as it
is, or you can get the current stable package from my web site
</SHAMELESS PLUG>
Demeis, Tony wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have upgraded to IDS 9.4 and have continued using DBAccess now for several
> months. I've noticed, however, some annoyances with DBAccess that are
> forcing me to quickly find another utility. Can anyone recommend an
> alternate tool with the same capabilities? I've briefly seen Server Studio
> but surely IBM/Informix must provide a free modernized tool to its
> subscribers.
>
> Thank you,
> Tony
>
>
>
--
Ciao,
Marco
______________________________________________________________________________
Marco Greco /UK /IBM Standard disclaimers apply!
Informix faq http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/informix.htm
4glworks http://www.4glworks.com
Informix on Linux http://www.4glworks.com/ifmxlinux.htm
> I have upgraded to IDS 9.4 and have continued using DBAccess now for several > months. I've noticed, however, some annoyances with DBAccess that are > forcing me to quickly find another utility. Can anyone recommend an > alternate tool with the same capabilities? I've briefly seen Server Studio > but surely IBM/Informix must provide a free modernized tool to its > subscribers. IBM does provide a basic version of ServerStudio with IDS. I'll agree that, for the price of IDS, they should be including the full version of ServerStudio. However, ServerStudio is a great tool and is worth the investment. With all the modules, you can: - generate random test data - re-org tables, including changing 1st extent size, with just a few clicks - run reports to check number of extents, etc. - write, save, syntax check, and execute SQL scripts - edit data in a spreadsheet-like editor - import/export data - debug stored procedures - check differences between database instances - work simultaneously in multiple databases and lots more! The latest versions of SS also have monitoring capabilities, though I am not using those. SS's license architecture is a bit annoying at times, but the product does make me far more productive than DBAccess ever could. I don't work for AGS or IBM. Just a satisfied user. Sean Durity
<ALTERNATVE SHAMELESS PLUG>
SQLCMD from the IIUG Software Archive also fits the history and command
line editing tool.
Current version at IIUG is 77.03.
</ALTERNATIVE SHAMELESS PLUG>
--
Jonathan Leffler (jleffler@us.ibm.com)
STSM, Informix Database Engineering, IBM Information Management Division
4100 Bohannon Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Tel: +1 650-926-6921 Tie-Line: 630-6921
"I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it!"
"Marco Greco " <marco@4glworks.com>
Sent by: forum.subscriber@iiug.org
03/15/2005 01:43 AM
To
ids@iiug.org
cc
Subject
Re: DBAccess Replacement [4509]
<SHAMELESS PLUG>
You could consider using sqsl (see
http://www.4glworks.com/4wrcsqll.htm#FGWLANGREF ).
Currently it's implemented as a curses based dbaccess replacement, written
as
part of an application framework for 4gl (named 4glworks), but last month
I
have taken the time to extract it from the application framework,
autoconfiscate it, and repackage it, and I will be submitting tit to the
IIUG
software archive as soon as I have the time to check that I have polished
the
new package enough. If you want, I can send you, the new distribution as
it
is, or you can get the current stable package from my web site
</SHAMELESS PLUG>
Demeis, Tony wrote:
> I have upgraded to IDS 9.4 and have continued using DBAccess now for
several
> months. I've noticed, however, some annoyances with DBAccess that are
> forcing me to quickly find another utility. Can anyone recommend an
> alternate tool with the same capabilities? I've briefly seen Server
Studio
> but surely IBM/Informix must provide a free modernized tool to its
> subscribers.