Re: tracking changes on a table through ODBC application

db_guy_2002_at_yahoo.com (db dude) wrote

> I have a table in which users are inserting records almost all the
> time. I need to write an ODBC based application program that would
> allow me to see what data is being inserted into the table in real
> time.

ODBC.. real time?

> One idea is to run a select query on the table (select * from table)
> once, keep the resultset open throughout the lifetime of the
> application, and then do SQLFetch() to get each new row that has been
> inserted into the table.

Er.. no. That's is not only illogical, but a dumb idea. Okay, Spock would not have said dumb. But then I'm not half Vulcan.

> My question is weather it is possible to keep the resultset open and
> see changes from other users in that result set. Can this be done
> using a cursor?

No. Read up on how Oracle provides read consistency.

Databases like Oracle, Informix and others, are also not real time databases. Real time means.. well *real* *time*.. which means a real time operating system and host of other nice complexities to shoot yourself in the foot.. if you succeed in not blowing yourself and a a few billion bits up in the process.

Why do you want to monitor the table that way? What business requirement are you trying to satisfy? Have you looked at auditing? Have you looked at something like datestamping rows via update/insert trigger?

Live long and RTFM.

--
Billy