What is SQL

[Blither]

I'm having trouble getting a straight answer out of MS-SQL marketing or anyone
else. What is SQL? I'm putting together some little Access 2k database
applets for my company that will eventually be used by several people on
the network. What would SQL do beyond what just putting the database on
the network would do? I'm hoping for a low tech answer here since I'm new
to the whole database development realm. Thanks.

[Paul]

You seem to be confusing SQL (structured query language) with SQL server (a
Microsoft Back Office product). If you are using Access and writing queries,
then you are utilizing a version of SQL, the language, already. All databases
utilize tables of some sort. It is where basic information is stored. In
order to get the information you want to get out of these tables, then you
must write a query. SQL, the language, is one accepted way to create tables,
populate the tables (put stuff in them), and get the information you want
out of them (query them). Each specialized database (ACCESS being one of
them) uses a version of SQL, the language. There is the accepted standard
SQL and then there is the "proprietary SQL" that is only useful within the
Access environment. So, if you want to build a simple database and get information
out of it, then you are doing it already in Access utilizing its version
of SQL, the language. However, as you go on in the use of Access, you may
want to customize your application in more and more complex ways (e.g. certain
mathematical calculations). As your desire to customize grows, so will you
need for a more complex programming language. This will lead you into the
Visual Basic modules in Access. It is at this level that Access starts to
show its weakness. Access's greatest strength is its ease of use, but you
pay for that ease of use with a decrease in performance.

Your question regarding why one would migrate into a "SQL SERVER" environment
is well phrased. If you are only utilizing small applets with few people
with small databases, you may not notice the performance limitations of Access.
You probably notice already that Access stores its tables and applications
together and the database can start to get very large very quickly. Access
becomes large and slow and inefficient. When one reaches those limits, one
finds the need for a more robust data solution--one that can allow lots of
users to manage lots of information very quickly all at the same time. Similarly,
you may want to access the same information in different ways (e.g. web based
apps on the Internet, Word Mail Merges, or Access applications) all at the
same time using the same data warehouse. When you need this flexibility,
you will quickly see Access' limitations. One interesting variation, however,
is utilizing SQL server on the back end for the storage of data, but pointing
those sources into Access for a simple front end for simple tasks for unsophisticated
users. SQL server allows one to do all this. Alas, when one gets even larger
(like the size of Citibank) even SQL server becomes inefficient and it will
become necessary to look at an even more robust Oracle product.

Hopes some of this makes sense!

"Blither" <sward@maloneyproperties.com> wrote:
>
>I'm having trouble getting a straight answer out of MS-SQL marketing or
anyone
>else. What is SQL? I'm putting together some little Access 2k database
>applets for my company that will eventually be used by several people on
>the network. What would SQL do beyond what just putting the database on
>the network would do? I'm hoping for a low tech answer here since I'm new
>to the whole database development realm. Thanks.

[Paul]

By the way, if you want a really easy to understand tutorial, try this link:

http://w3.one.net/~jhoffman/sqltut.htm

Good luck!

"Paul" <pjl@longisland.com> wrote:
>
>You seem to be confusing SQL (structured query language) with SQL server
(a
>Microsoft Back Office product). If you are using Access and writing queries,
>then you are utilizing a version of SQL, the language, already. All databases
>utilize tables of some sort. It is where basic information is stored.
In
>order to get the information you want to get out of these tables, then you
>must write a query. SQL, the language, is one accepted way to create tables,
>populate the tables (put stuff in them), and get the information you want
>out of them (query them). Each specialized database (ACCESS being one of
>them) uses a version of SQL, the language. There is the accepted standard
>SQL and then there is the "proprietary SQL" that is only useful within the
>Access environment. So, if you want to build a simple database and get
information
>out of it, then you are doing it already in Access utilizing its version
>of SQL, the language. However, as you go on in the use of Access, you may
>want to customize your application in more and more complex ways (e.g. certain
>mathematical calculations). As your desire to customize grows, so will
you
>need for a more complex programming language. This will lead you into the
>Visual Basic modules in Access. It is at this level that Access starts
to
>show its weakness. Access's greatest strength is its ease of use, but you
>pay for that ease of use with a decrease in performance.
>
>Your question regarding why one would migrate into a "SQL SERVER" environment
>is well phrased. If you are only utilizing small applets with few people
>with small databases, you may not notice the performance limitations of
Access.
> You probably notice already that Access stores its tables and applications
>together and the database can start to get very large very quickly. Access
>becomes large and slow and inefficient. When one reaches those limits,
one
>finds the need for a more robust data solution--one that can allow lots
of
>users to manage lots of information very quickly all at the same time.
Similarly,
>you may want to access the same information in different ways (e.g. web
based
>apps on the Internet, Word Mail Merges, or Access applications) all at the
>same time using the same data warehouse. When you need this flexibility,
>you will quickly see Access' limitations. One interesting variation, however,
>is utilizing SQL server on the back end for the storage of data, but pointing
>those sources into Access for a simple front end for simple tasks for unsophisticated
>users. SQL server allows one to do all this. Alas, when one gets even
larger
>(like the size of Citibank) even SQL server becomes inefficient and it will
>become necessary to look at an even more robust Oracle product.
>
>Hopes some of this makes sense!
>
>"Blither" <sward@maloneyproperties.com> wrote:
>>
>>I'm having trouble getting a straight answer out of MS-SQL marketing or
>anyone
>>else. What is SQL? I'm putting together some little Access 2k database
>>applets for my company that will eventually be used by several people on
>>the network. What would SQL do beyond what just putting the database on
>>the network would do? I'm hoping for a low tech answer here since I'm
new
>>to the whole database development realm. Thanks.
>

[Butch Sprinkle]

SQL is a pseudo-language for querying 'asking questions' of a database. Access
hides most of the SQL in the back-ground but this is actually how it talks
to the data. With SQL you can join data together with different criteria
and create true information. Access is a very good database for small (up
to 20 user <my opinion>) databases however; if you will have many users using
the database at once, you will want to move your data to something like SQL
Server and just use Access as a front-end. (You can link to the data via
ODBC or ADO and it appears as though you the data resides in the access database)

The question that you are asking could occupy a whole year of college. I
tried to summarize the best I can.


"Blither" <sward@maloneyproperties.com> wrote:
>
>I'm having trouble getting a straight answer out of MS-SQL marketing or
anyone
>else. What is SQL? I'm putting together some little Access 2k database
>applets for my company that will eventually be used by several people on
>the network. What would SQL do beyond what just putting the database on
>the network would do? I'm hoping for a low tech answer here since I'm new
>to the whole database development realm. Thanks.