Hello!
I must begin to thanks for a nice program…
My quest:
How did i setup a logging into a mssql database?
There is a choice for mssql but there is some talk about client dll so im not sure.
/
Patrik Ekman
Sweden
Are you talking about MS SQL (Microsoft SQL) or MySQL?
There are currently two SQL-based music databases available for mAirList: eldoDB and radioDB. The former requires a MySQL server, the latter a PostgreSQL server. There is currently no music database supported by mAirList that runs on Microsoft SQL Server.
Connecting to an SQL server without having installed either eldoDB or radioDB makes no sense.
Torben
Yes the MS Sql.
Because there is in the logging setup a choice for mssql i belive the would work.
/patrik
Ah, sorry - I got you wrong. I thought you were about to set up a music database.
Yes, if it’s only for logging, you can use MS SQL. I have never tried it myself though. I found this thread in the ZeosLib forum (that’s the Delphi component I use for the database connection):
http://zeos.firmos.at/viewtopic.php?t=516&sid=3ab1a21e0bd842cda698e70f324eb1f5
It says that the required DLL is included in some “client installation kit for SQL server”.
Torben
Yes i working on a music database in mssql.
The logging work nice now.
I only make a nice trigger to update my songdata with staistics…
Thanks!
/patrik
Ah, sorry - I got you wrong. I thought you were about to set up a music database.Torben
I don’t understand why it would be so difficult to support an MSSQL (or even MS Access) music database. If the table schema in the MSSQL database were the same as the table schema in eldoDB or radioDB, then presumably the underlying SQL statements to insert/update/delete the tables would be identical, or nearly so?
There are a LOT of people who already have or use either Access or MSSQL databases, so setting up an extra database would be relatively easy for them. Unless you run a Webserver of your own, you’re unlikely to already have either MySQL or PostgreSQL installed.
To me, it seems puzzling that Torben is not offering a way for all those gazillions of MSSQL/MSAccess users to use their existing installed MS SQL Server, and is forcing them to use an alternative. >shrug< I guess it’s his choice. I for one would certainly be happy to assist in any project to develop an MSSQL ‘music database’ which mAirList could support. After all, I used to program MSSQL Server for a living!
I have to add that the nightmare of attempting and failing to install MySQL (twice!) completely put me off even the idea of downloading the PostgreSQL installer. I thought ‘if this is how complex it is to fail to install a non-MS SQLServer, give me the nice easy MS install ANY day!’
BFN
CAD
Cad,
I can put you in touch with somebody who could probably assist with the SQL installation… He’s a fellow radio person, who has seen mAirList at my studio and liked it (he actually has a bought copy of DPS).
Thing is, he runs his own web-server at home and does all the Apache/MySQL stuff himself - and his eyes lit-up when I said mAirList can talk to an SQL database for music/jingle info.
Cad,
we are talking about two different things here:
-
The database schema, that is, the table definitions etc. This is specific to eldoDB, radioDB or any other SQL-based music database out there (are there any other?).
-
The server product that is used to store these tables. This could be MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL, Oracle, Firebird or any other SQL database.
In fact, any SQL database should operate in the same way, and actually, mAirList does not care which kind of SQL database it connecting to. ZeosLib, the database interface I use, supports a lot of them and hides the differences between them by offering a unified interface to the programmer. And this is why you have to specify a “driver” or “protocol” parameter in mAirList’s database configuration, to tell mAirList what kind of server it should connect to.
The SQL language is an ISO standard. Unfortunately, almost every SQL product out there has its own dialect. The basic syntax is identical in all databases, but when it comes to more sophisticated queries, a query written for MySQL will not work on a MS SQL Server with the same tables, and vice versa. This is why most programmers of a database-based software choose one server product. For eldoDB, it’s MySQL, for RadioDB, it’s PostgreSQL, and a future, official mAirList database will be based on PostgreSQL as well, as it’s full-featured, multi-platform, and free of charge, as opposed to MS SQL and MySQL (sure, MySQL is Open Source, but I would need to buy a 1000 Euro commercial license if I wanted to use the v4.0+ DLL in a closed-source project, even if was freeware).
So, the question is not “Can I use MS SQL with mAirList?” but “Will eldoDB or RadioDB work with MS SQL?” I guess they won’t, because neither Christoph nor me bothered to think about other databases than MySQL or PostgreSQL when writing our queries. When developing a future database, we could care about this matter. But it results in a lot of work (probably tons of “if server=MS SQL then use query syntax a, if server=mysql then use query syntax b, etc.” statements).
By the way: The PostgreSQL setup is very much nicer compared to what MySQL claims to offer as an “installer”. It works like any other Windows installer. Just try it.
Torben
OK Torben, I follow all of that.
I know what you mean about more complex queries, and though you usually CAN write very complex stuff whilst sticking strictly to the ISO subset (i.e. ignoring any ‘manufacturer specific’ syntax), you’re probably right to stick to just one SQL Server and write for that.
My own (large!) MS SQL experience is of limited use when I write things for the Sybase SQLAnywhere-driven database we have at work. 
PostgreSQL, eh? >GULP< Well… I do trust you, so I guess… I… I’ll go and, uh… download the installer.
[FX: lights long fuse and runs away with fingers in ears…]
BFN
CAD
AAAARGH!
OK, I’ve installed PostgreSQL and you were right about that being a good uncomplicated install.
I then downloaded radioDB Beta 3. I even managed to figure out the (German!) README and changed the dbase.ini to use English/US.
I nervously ran radiodb.exe… which said Cannot find Java runtime.
Cursing mightily, I left my (deliberately NOT connected to Internet or anything else) test PC and went back to the other room where my Internet-connected PC is, and downloaded the offline install of the hated Sun Java Runtime Environment.
Then I went back to my test PC and installed the Sun JRE (after creating a Restore Point so I can remove it again afterwards).
Then I ran radiodb.exe again. This time: a little RadioDB splash screen!
Immediately followed by Cannot find main classes.
So… before I go completely mad and give up totally, can someone PLEASE tell me what the f**k I need to download and install this time, to persuade radioDB to even install?
BFN
CAD (driven crazy by undocumented prerequisites!)
I’m afraid this is the business of the RadioDB developers. The original developer is Christoph (forum nick name “cevou”), but he has just handed development over to Alexander (“salomon”).
Maybe Christoph or Alexander can assist you, or someone else successfully running RadioDB. I myself only have a test install here, for programming the interface to mAirList.
Torben