From Access to SQL

[SusanV]

Good morning all,

One of our larger Access db projects has grown, and I'm thinking maybe it's
time to move the backend to SQL. We are running SBS 2003 which has SQL
server installed, but I know absolutely nothing about the server piece.
Anyone have any good links on MS SQL Server for a true noob?

TIA,

SusanV

 

[Mike Labosh]

One of our larger Access db projects has grown, and I'm thinking maybe
it's

time to move the backend to SQL. We are running SBS 2003 which has SQL
server installed, but I know absolutely nothing about the server piece.
Anyone have any good links on MS SQL Server for a true noob?

The best resource you will ever find is, on this news server, find the group
called microsoft.public.sqlserver.programming

That's where all the SQL Server gods live. Ask those folks for useful noob
resources. I personally am VERY good at SQL Server, so I personally don't
know any noob resources, because I no longer need them.

Then there is www.sqlservercentral.com

Here are some tips to get started with SQL Server:

1. Access has a dubious thing called the SQL Server Migration Wizard.
For your own good and safety, don't use that ghastly thing.

2. SQL Server has two primary ways to interact with it: "Enterprise
Manager", a graphical utility that is similar to Access. For example, in
Enterprise Manager, you right-click your server and "Create Database". You
go into the database, and right-click Tables to "Create Table", and get a
graphical window similar to the Access Table Designer.

The other excellent utility is Query Analyzer. Anything in the entire
SQL world, you can type or paste into Query Analyzer and play with it. Then
whatever commands you have typed into the window, you can run all at once,
or just run the selected text. You can also save it all as a .sql script
file for later use. If I were the developer for Northwind Traders, I might
find myself using Query Analyzer to write a script like this, if I were just
starting out:

CREATE DATABASE Northwind
GO

USE Northwind
GO

CREATE TABLE Shippers (
ShipperID INT NOT NULL IDENTITY(1, 1) PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED,
CompanyName NVARCHAR(40) NOT NULL,
Phone NVARCHAR(24) NULL
)
GO

BEGIN TRANSACTION
INSERT INTO Shippers (CompanyName, Phone) VALUES (.......)
INSERT INTO Shippers (CompanyName, Phone) VALUES (.......)
INSERT INTO Shippers (CompanyName, Phone) VALUES (.......)
COMMIT TRANSACTION
GO

3. What you call a Select Query, SQL Server calls a View.

4. What you call an Append / Delete / Update Query, SQL Server calls a
Stored Procedure.

--

Peace & happy computing,

Mike Labosh, MCSD MCT
Owner, vbSensei.Com

"Escriba coda ergo sum." -- vbSensei

 

[SusanV]

Thanks for all the great info Mike!

The best resource you will ever find is, on this news server, find the
group
called microsoft.public.sqlserver.programming

That's where all the SQL Server gods live. Ask those folks for useful
noob
resources. I personally am VERY good at SQL Server, so I personally don't
know any noob resources, because I no longer need them.

Then there is www.sqlservercentral.com

Here are some tips to get started with SQL Server:

1. Access has a dubious thing called the SQL Server Migration Wizard.
For your own good and safety, don't use that ghastly thing.

2. SQL Server has two primary ways to interact with it: "Enterprise
Manager", a graphical utility that is similar to Access. For example, in
Enterprise Manager, you right-click your server and "Create Database".
You
go into the database, and right-click Tables to "Create Table", and get a
graphical window similar to the Access Table Designer.

The other excellent utility is Query Analyzer. Anything in the entire
SQL world, you can type or paste into Query Analyzer and play with it.
Then
whatever commands you have typed into the window, you can run all at once,
or just run the selected text. You can also save it all as a .sql script
file for later use. If I were the developer for Northwind Traders, I
might
find myself using Query Analyzer to write a script like this, if I were
just
starting out:

CREATE DATABASE Northwind
GO

USE Northwind
GO

CREATE TABLE Shippers (
ShipperID INT NOT NULL IDENTITY(1, 1) PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED,
CompanyName NVARCHAR(40) NOT NULL,
Phone NVARCHAR(24) NULL
)
GO

BEGIN TRANSACTION
INSERT INTO Shippers (CompanyName, Phone) VALUES (.......)
INSERT INTO Shippers (CompanyName, Phone) VALUES (.......)
INSERT INTO Shippers (CompanyName, Phone) VALUES (.......)
COMMIT TRANSACTION
GO

3. What you call a Select Query, SQL Server calls a View.

4. What you call an Append / Delete / Update Query, SQL Server calls a
Stored Procedure.

--

Peace & happy computing,

Mike Labosh, MCSD MCT
Owner, vbSensei.Com

"Escriba coda ergo sum." -- vbSensei