Re: Oracle 6 ODBC

In article <16615_at_blue.cis.pitt.edu> paubh4+_at_pitt.edu (Brian C Hogue) writes:

>My work group has a 486 machine with SQL*Net installed on it. We have
>Oracle 6 running on a vax/vms machine. We want to use MS-Excel 4.0 to
>select data from our database for a particular project.
 

>Is this a realistic idea?

Yep. We do it a **lot**.

>Do we need to get MS-Access?

Not at all. You can use the ancient version of Q+E that comes bundled with Excel 4.0 if your needs are simple, upgrade to the current version of Q+E ("Q+E Database Editor Version 5.0" from Q+E Software - $99 upgrade from the ancient version that comes with Excel) or, if you are going to do some heavy-duty macro programming, use the "Q+E Database Library" which provides high-performance (though low-level) manipulation of the database.

If you insist on using MS-ACCESS, be aware that joining a "local" database table to a table in the ORACLE database on your host causes the ENTIRE joined host table to be downloaded to your PC before Access tries to do the WHERE clause on it :-( Not good if your host table contains several million rows.

>Does the Oracle 6 ODBC come with the SQL*Net software?

Nope.
> If it does come with SQL*Net, where would it be and under what name?

It's not there at all.

>Do I need to get the ODBC from Microsoft or Oracle?

For what you wish to do, you don't need to get it at all. But FYI: the Microsoft ODBC driver for Oracle is rather doggy and Oracle doesn't offer one for Version 6. Q+E offers versions for both Version 6 and Version 7 in their "ODBC-Pack" which are as much as an order of magnitude faster than the one Microsoft currently offers.

If you upgrade your Excel to Excel 5.0, you'll get an Access-like query tool (instead of the ancient version of Q+E) that is ODBC-based and comes with Microsoft's ODBC driver for Oracle.

Either way, you need SQL*Net.

> Thanks in advance,

You're welcome

> Brian
>--
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Brian C. Hogue paubh4+_at_pitt.edu
>Systems Analyst TIP#122
>University of Pittsburgh "These opinions are mine - who else would want them?"

DISCLAIMERS: This is not an official endorsement by Ford Motor Company - just my experiences as a developer here. I have no connection with Q+E Software except as a VERY satisfied customer. Received on Tue Mar 08 1994 - 08:27:50 CET