mySQL ODBC Setup mySQL ODBC SetupWhat is ODBC?
What is MySQL?
What do you mean "MySQL is ODBC Compliant"?
Who, Why and How can this be used?
Setting up ODBC on your PC to access your online mySQL database.
How to set up MS Access to access your mySQL
database
What is ODBC?
According to Microsoft:
"Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) technology provides a common interface for accessing heterogeneous SQL databases. ODBC is based on Structured Query Language (SQL) as a standard for accessing data. This interface provides maximum interoperability: a single application can access different SQL Database Management Systems (DBMS) through a common set of code. This enables a developer to build and distribute a client/server application without targeting a specific DBMS. Database drivers are then added to link the application to the user's choice of DBMS."
Benefits:
More information can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/data/odbc/
What is mySQL?
(Note: mySQL documentation is at
http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/index.html)
MySQL was created by Michael Widenius, (monty@analytikerna.se).
It is a small, fast and capable relational database in the tradition of Hughes
Technologies Mini SQL database. (NOTE that the MySQL database package contains no Mini SQL
source code, it does however share some of the same look and feel both in the C API and in
the names and function of many of its programs. This has been done to make it relatively
easy to port Mini SQL applications and utilities to MySQL.)
The client portion of MySQL has been placed in the public domain while most of the rest of
MySQL is distributed under the license listed in appendix A of this document. Small
portions are covered by either Berkeley style copyright, or GNU licenses.
David Axmark created and maintains the autoconf portion of MySQL, along with maintaining
the MySQL FAQ.
The MySQL database system is free for most uses, but if support is an issue for you, that
is an option as well. Having said that, I urge people to register MySQL if they can afford
it, even if the license would not require that they do so. Everyone benefits by supporting
this sort of product. At this point I know a lot of people out there are making money off
of MySQL. If you are one of them than I ask you as a favor to me for writing the manual,
and to Monty for writing MySQL PLEASE register. If you need a pragmatic reason, how are
you going to feel if MySQL goes away? How are your customers going to feel?
The latest version of MySQL can be found at http://www.mysql.com/.
What do you mean "MySQL is ODBC Compliant"?
MySQL is ODBC Compliant, which means once you setup a DSN (data source name) on your local
PC that points to an online mySQL database, you can actually add/delete and update records
from your local PC. Furthermore more, you may also use programming languages such as
Visual Basic to open and manipulate this database.
Note: In order to connect to and manipulate an online mySQL database, you must be connected to the Internet.
Why, Who and How can this be used?
Why: MySQL with ODBC can potentially cut information management costs considerably.
Who: Businesses with an existing offline database can migrate it to the Internet and eliminate the need for two separate online/offline databases.
How:
Setting up ODBC on your PC to access your online mySQL database
NOTE: You must have a mySQL database table or tables set up in order to access the database.
Requirements: Windows 9x, NT 4, 2K, XP
Note: On Windows NT 4.0, you'll get a message saying "This application uses the
old version of CTL3D32.DLL..." Just ignore
it for the moment.
This will setup a MySQL DSN on your local PC.
You may start using the MySQL Data Source in your PC programs.
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