═══ 1. Select Data Base ═══ Select the data base whose contents you wish to edit during this session of SQLEDIT. The data base you choose will be opened for processing. The data base may be selected by clicking mouse button 1 on its name and then clicking mouse button 1 on the Enter box. ═══ 2. Select Stored Query ═══ You have chosen to work with a query previously stored with the data base, either by executing the stored query directly, or by modifying the stored query before execution. Choose one of the stored queries by clicking mouse button 1 on its name and then clicking mouse button 1 on the "Enter" box. ═══ 3. Enter Ad Hoc Query ═══ You can now enter a new SQL query in the indicated window. Editing may be done using the backspace key, the cursor positioning keys and the DELETE key from the keyboard. This query must be a "SELECT" statement using valid SQL syntax. ═══ 4. Edit Data Item ═══ You can now edit a data item, using the keyboard and the mouse. The data may be edited without regard for leading or trailing blanks. These will be handled automatically, depending on the base data type of the item. The edited data item must conform to the rules for the representation of its underlying data type. For example, an INT or SHORTINT data type may contain only numeric characters, aside from an optional leading sign. Errors in edited data will not be caught until the data is used in an SQL transaction. When you have completed editing the data item, click mouse button 1 on the Enter box. The whole process may be aborted by clicking mouse button 1 on the Cancel box. ═══ 5. Select Query File ═══ Select a file containing the text of a valid SQL SELECT query. This query will be executed to select the rows and columns to be edited. You may choose the logical drive and the directory this file resides in. Also, for HPFS file systems, you may choose a file with a name whose length exceeds standard restrictions. ═══ 6. Edit Data ═══ You can now edit data which has been retrieved from the database by your query. The data may be scrolled both vertically and horizontally using the scrollbars. Editing the data will generate the text of SQL transaction(s) which, when executed successfully, will then store the edited data permanently in the database. The entire procedure may be terminated at any time prior to actually executing the transactions by clicking on the Cancel box with mouse button 1. When you have finished editing the data, you may permanently commit the changes into the database by clicking on the Execute box. Note that any of these generated transactions may fail for a large variety of reasons. These reasons include (but are not limited to) lack of authorization, bad syntax in an expression, invalid data, impermissible updating of a view, invalid table name, etc. For every invalid SQL transaction an appropriate error message will be displayed and must be acknowledged. All valid transactions will run successfully even if some of the transactions are in error. No record is kept of the name of the table or view from which the displayed data is derived. In fact, there may not be such a table if the output data is a composite of data from more than a single table. For this reason, when the Execute is selected, you will be asked to enter a table name against which the transaction(s) will be run. If you need more room in a column to enter data (as can occur when you enter a valid SQL expression, as opposed to data, into a column), first click mouse button 1 on the Widen box. Then move the pointer anywhere within the column of interest except for the header portion of the display and click mouse button 2. This will widen the column by a fixed increment. If further widening is needed, simply repeat this procedure as many times as required. For INSERT and UPDATE transactions, the edited data must conform to the SQL rules for valid transactions. Not only must the data conform to the rules related to the underlying data type of the columns, but the transaction to update the data base must comply with existing authorizations for the database. To get information on how to perform specific editing functions, double click on the name below.  Insert  Update  Delete ═══ 7. Inserting New Rows ═══ You may insert new rows into a table or view using existing rows as a model. To accomplish this, first click on the Insert box with mouse button 1. Then move the pointer to anywhere within the row that you wish to use as a model and click on it, using mouse button 2. This will cause a copy of the row to be added at the end of the display. This row will be colored the same color as the Insert box. You may now edit individual columns within this row by clicking on the Select box with mouse button 1. Then move the pointer to the column in the added row whose data you wish to edit and click on it with mouse button 2. The data item selected will be presented in an edit window and may now be edited using standard techniques. Continue this procedure for as many columns as you wish to modify. Not modifying any columns will create a transaction which attempts to insert a duplicate row. This may or may not be valid, depending upon the definition of the table. ═══ 8. Updating Existing Rows ═══ You may update column(s) in existing rows that have been retrieved by the SQL query. To accomplish this, click on the Update box with mouse button 1. Then position the pointer on the column of the row that you wish to update and click on it with mouse button 2. The selected row will be displayed in the same color as the Update box. Also the selected data will be put into an edit window where you may edit the data using standard techniques. If the edited data is too wide to fit into the column, it will be truncated. In this case, the column should be widened before the data is edited. No check is made at this time as to whether it is valid to update the column being updated because of key considerations, etc. This will only be done when the generated transaction is actually run. ═══ 9. Deleting Existing Rows ═══ You may delete existing row(s) that have been retrieved by the SQL query. To accomplish this, first click on the Delete by using mouse button 1. Next position the cursor on the row to be deleted and click on it with mouse button 2. The row will be displayed in the same color as the Delete box. ═══ 10. Enter Table Name ═══ Since the displayed columns may be derived from more than a single table or view, no record is kept of the table name(s) used in the original SQL query executed to retrieve the data. Instead, you must now enter the name of the table or view against which the transactions you have generated will be run. Indeed this table need not even be involved in the original query. Use standard editing techniques to edit this entry. ═══ 11. Main Menu ═══ To terminate SQLEdit, click on Quit ═══ 12. Registration ═══ To receive a registered copy of SQLEdit whch may be executed an unlimited number of times, please send $40 in U.S. currency to: Ammonoosuc Technology, Inc. 131 Ridge Road Franconia, NH 03580 This will also entitle you to receive fixes for the current version of SQLEdit and to be notified of the availability of future, enhanced versions of SQLEdit. Discounts are available for multiple copies of SQLEdit. To receive a copy of these discount rates, contact Ammonoosuc Technology Inc. at the above address by U.S. (snail) mail or by electronic mail directed to 70761,1756 on CompuServe or to 70761.1756@compuserve.com on Internet or to DEV2758 on IBMLink..