How To Use MSDE

[curlydog]

I have MSDE installed as a result of using Visual Basic.net.

By coincidence I'm also doing a course in database systems & concepts.

I thought it would be a good idea to use MSDE to practice my sql skill (creating databases, tables, populating the tables and querying them using sql).

How do I do this. There is no documentation with MSDE telling you how you can do these things. I've tried using access to create a database and save it to the server, but it doesn't seem to see it. I know that it is running as there is an icon in my system tray telling me it is running and that it is called \\main.

I know that this is a real low level question, but I'd appreciate any help that tells me how to access and use it.

Thanks
Curlydog

[RalphC]

As you are now well aware, MSDE doesn't come with a GUI. There's a couple of things you can do.

There's a MS back project called ASP Matrix that is a poor-boy's Visual Studio for ASP.NET. It comes with MSDE and has some tools for working with MSDE.

If you can get a SQL2000 Demo Disk, you can install the "Client Tools" (Enterprise manager, SQL Query, etc.) for 120 trial (This is the best toolset!)

Or you can search via Google for an ever increasing number of projects people are posting where they have built their own GUIs.

If you have access to a MSDN subscription (Universal or Enterprise) then you have access to SQL 2000 and the Client Tools.

Keep trying, this is good stuff!

RC

[bhensley]

You don't have to have the GUI to use MSDE. To build tables, indexes, queries and the like the old fashioned way use OSQL at the c prompt.

To use it, go to the C prompt. (case does matter) Type:
C:\> OSQL -d database-name -U username -P password

then type your queries and such. Pick up a book on SQL Server and it should talk to some extent about OSQL and Transact-SQL (the SQL Server proprietary SQL language). Also, there is probably some documentation on the web about OSQL and all of its calls.

While the Enterprise GUI is nice, it is simply not needed. By the way, after building your tables and the like in OSQL, make a ODBC connection to it using MS Access and you should be able to do data entry using a common GUI.