Re: [Q] Client/Server Report Writer

A quick search on altavista showed up http://www.andyne.com/ for GQL. I have no idea whether GQL or any other tool will use primary/foreign key definitions in the database to set up suggested join paths. However I doubt it will help you much. 1. Joining is only one part of reporting. 2. You have to give all columns easy to understand names, and have to give explanations to your users how they are used. 3. An OLTP database of any size is usually to complex for most endusers to understand even if you set up easy to understand column names and extended explanations to go with them. 4. The real way to go in my opinion is to export your OLTP data to a dimentional data warehous. If you want to do this on your relational database you should read Ralph Kimball's latest book (The Data Warehouse Toolkit, published by John Wiley). It explains everything real well and is easy to understand. Reading his book is why I argue for a data warehouse solution and forget about users doing reports directly from your OLTP database. 5. If you accept the need for a data warehouse all arguments about tools are changed totally. Reportwriters are still interesting, but a tool like Informix MetaCube becomes the primary point of access, and you'll find your users beeing able to do so much more than any reportwriter can do. At least according to Ralph Kimball - I do not have experience on this yet! I would love to here more from you on any experiences you have with MetaCube. Before Informix aquired it, it was claimed to bee one of the best ROLAP tools in the industry and as I understand it they have continued to improve it. Let's here, let's here... cherylk@prod1.jcdc.doleta.gov (Cheryl Kendricks) wrote: :Thanks David for Such a Speedy Answer!!!!! :What is GQL? Also VP, IQ and MetaCube all let me define the model within :there prodcut. What I WANT THE SOFTWARE TO DO is KNOW I"VE already done :this at the DB LEVEL (in the system sysconstraints table (primary and :foreign keys)). Seems like a simple thing to do! All Major RDMS have :"SYSTEM" tables, once the software (VP, IQ...) knows what type of RDMS it is :being used with, then why not GET THIS INFORMATION? :I as DBA have done it once, Why MUST I DO IT AGAIN (do you read me :vendors)! :Anyway David are you telling me the this GQL product will do this? Then :also offer me the opportunity to export this information to the PC? :If so give me there number, www address or a phone contact number, because :they have just made my dream come true for "RDMS Reporting Software". : ------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Cheryl Kendricks : Internet:cherylk@prod1.jcdc.doleta.gov OR cherylk@gwysmtp.jcdc.doleta.gov : DTSI, Inc. : Database Administrator - DOL Job Corps San Marcos, Texas : ------------------------------------------------------------------------ :On Sat, 22 Jun 1996, David Williams wrote: :} In article <4qh8no$1v7@cssun.mathcs.emory.edu>, Cheryl Kendricks :} <cherylk@prod1.jcdc.doleta.gov> writes :} :Is this software from "IQ Software" there address is www.iqsc.com? :} :Has anyone seen report writting sotware that starts the view of data based :} :on the RI that exist in the DB (i.e uses sysconstraints and sysindexes) to :} :give me a default of how tables should be joined? :} : (snip)..... :} :Am I dreaming a hopless dream. :} :Thanks in advance for any response! :} :} Try GQL the latest version can read the database to determine the :} data model to use. :} :} :On 21 Jun 1996, Storm Software wrote: :} : :} :: IQ Objects is quite simply the best product out on the market at the moment. :} :: :} :: It gets the syntax unbelievably correct (we added two conditions of :} :: (snip...) :} :: Generates HTML output as well. :} : (snip..) :} :} GQL - you can rename columns to something meaningful, also define all :} the conditons you want on as many columns as you want. The :} administor defines the data model and it can be exported to :} users' PC's sp they can define their own queries. Also you can save :} report definitions so user can run standard reports automatically. :} :} Once table joins are defined GQL will automatically use the correct :} one for you query. Just click on the tables you want to query on :} and a list of columns appears, click on the columns and enter your :} criteria. Pick operators ( :,<, between, !=, =, MAX,MIN,SUM etc.) :} :} Easy. :} :} :} -- :} David Williams :} Nils.Myklebust@ccmail.telemax.no NM Data AS, P.O.Box 9090 Gronland, N-0133 Oslo, Norway My opinions are those of my company