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General Information Page 1 of 7
Quasar SQL For Windows
Release 2.0 - November 1991
GENERAL INFORMATION
Copyright (c) 1991-92 by Stellar Industries
All Rights Reserved
Quasar SQL For Windows release 2.0 includes a significant new
feature: the Quasar SQL Application Programming Interface (API).
What is the Quasar SQL API?
The Quasar SQL API is a powerful tool that enables you, the
software developer, to have full access to a modern, highly
optimized ANSI standard SQL database manager: the Quasar
Database Administrator. Your programs written in any
language which can access dynamic link libraries can also
access the Quasar SQL API. These languages include 'C',
'C++', 'Visual Basic', 'Pascal' and most assemblers. In
fact, any program which can access the Microsoft Windows
environment can access the Quasar SQL API. Microsoft
Windows itself is a dynamic link library.
The Quasar SQL API is your gateway to modern database
technology. With a little more than a dozen functions and
only 4 data structures you can perform almost any database
task.
How does the Quasar SQL API work?
"How is this done?" you might ask. Well, while the Quasar
Database Administrator is sophisticated, complex and fully
optimized for maximum performance: the Quasar SQL API is
simple and straight forward. The Quasar SQL API effectively
buffers you from all the complex tasks of parsing, query
analysis, query optimization, query tree construction, etc.
How do I link to the Quasar SQL API?
When programming in 'C', you need to do only three things to
include all the power of SQL in your application:
1) When you link your object modules, include the SQL.LIB
import library along with libw.lib.
2) Include the SQL.H file (e.g. "#include <sql.h>") in
your source code.
General Information Page 2 of 7
3) Put the Quasar Database Administrator (DBA.EXE) and
Quasar SQL API (SQL.DLL) someplace where windows can
find them (usually in your windows directory).
When programming in 'Visual Basic', you need to do only two
things to include all the power of SQL in your application:
1) Be sure to use the SQL.GBL file included with the
Quasar SQL API. Note that the 'C' style prefixes used
with variable names (i.e. the 'n' in nResultCode, and
the 'sz' in szErrorMessage) are not used with 'Visual
Basic'.
2) Put the Quasar Database Administrator (DBA.EXE) and
Quasar SQL API (SQL.DLL) someplace where windows can
find them (usually in your windows directory).
How do I use the Quasar SQL API?
Your program can login to the Quasar Database Administrator
(SqlLogin), open a cursor (SqlCursorOpen) and execute a
query (SqlExecute). The query itself is passed to the
Quasar SQL API as a simple text string. The Quasar SQL API
does all the work for you. To get your answers back (from a
SELECT statement, for example) you simply fetch them one at
a time from the Quasar SQL API. You can fetch the first
record (SqlFetchFirst), last record (SqlFetchLast), next
record (SqlFetchNext), previous record (SqlFetchPrevious) or
even a record at a position you specify
(SqlFetchPositioned).
You can have several cursors open at a time so that you can
access your data the way you want.
When you're all done, close your cursors (SqlCursorClose)
and log out (SqlLogout).
How can I check out my SQL statements?
You can check out your SQL statements using the Quasar Query
Editor (QE.EXE) included with the Quasar SQL API. The
Quasar Query Editor allows you to type in the query your
program is going to send to the Quasar SQL API and have it
execute right there in front of you. You'll get all the
results back on the screen where you can verify it's what
you expected. In fact, the Quasar Query Editor uses the
Quasar SQL API the same way your program does.
Unpacking and Installation Instructions
General Information Page 3 of 7
Quasar SQL For Windows is provided on a single high density
diskette. The contents of the diskette are defined in the
included PACKING.LST file.
Efficient operation of SQL For Windows requires that you use a
disk cache manager (such as MicroSoft's SMARTDRV.SYS). For
superior performance use a disk cache manager which also caches
disk writes, such as Norton Disk Cache (available with Norton
Utilities) or Hyperdisk Disk Accelerator (available as shareware
from HyperWare*). We at Stellar Industries recommend Hyperdisk
Disk Accelerator with which we observe a three to six fold
performance enhancement verses SMARTDRV.SYS. Hyperdisk is
available on many BBS's as HYDK421.ZIP. Documentation for these
disk cache managers should be carefully reviewed.
Adding indices to tables greatly enhances performance. A simple
SELECT which extracts 5 records from a table of 3000 takes 10.6
seconds without an index. The same SELECT statement takes only
0.6 seconds when there is an index on the table.
While indices may be created at any time, we recommend that you
create indices immediately after you create their base tables,
otherwise CREATE INDEX has to read and rewrite all data which is
already in the table.
The importance of a good disk cache manager and thoughtful
database design including the use of indices (where appropriate)
cannot be over emphasized.
In order to properly install SQL For Windows on your computer you
will need to perform the following steps:
1) Use your favorite editor (NOTEPAD.EXE will suffice) to
insure that your 'CONFIG.SYS' file has the 'FILES=' MSDOS
parameter set to at least 30.
2) Move DBA.EXE, DBA.HLP, QE.EXE, QE.HLP, SQL.DLL SQL.HLP and
SYNTAX.HLP to the directory in which you keep windows
programs. This is usually the 'c:\windows' directory.
3) Make two new directories. One will be for the Quasar
Database Administrator's files (we recommend naming it
'database'), the other will be for your queries and data (we
recommend naming it 'data'). You can use the MS-DOS 'mkdir'
command to do this.
4) Move the *.SQL and *.DAT files to where you want to keep
your queries. These files contain both sample queries and
an import file to load some sample data into the database.
We recommend putting these files in your 'data' directory.
____________________
* HyperWare, RR#1 Box 91, Pall Mall, TN 38577; voice: (615) 864-
6868; BBS: 8N1 (HST, V.32, V.22bis): (615) 864-6871
General Information Page 4 of 7
5) Use your favorite editor (NOTEPAD.EXE will suffice) to
modify the windows initialization file WIN.INI. This file
can usually be found in the 'c:\windows' directory. Add the
following lines:
[QuasarDba]
AutoStart=1
DatabasePath=c:\database
DataFilePath=c:\data
FileNameDatabaseDump=c:\temp\quasar.dmp
[QuasarQe]
Acknowledge=1
DataFilePath=c:\data
OpenNew=1
UserName=SYSTEM
UserPassword=QUASAR
WarnOnClose=1
As DBA.EXE and QE.EXE automatically add some of these lines
if they do not already exist, be sure you are not adding
duplicate entries. If you edit WIN.INI before running
DBA.EXE or QE.EXE you don't have to worry.
These entries have the following meanings:
[QuasarDba] Identifies a block of entries as
belonging to the Quasar Database
Administrator.
AutoStart Set to '0' or '1'. When set to '1'
causes the Quasar Database Administrator
to automatically start the database as
soon as you start the program.
DatabasePath Set to the path you want the database
files to reside in. Make sure to create
this directory before starting the
Quasar Database Administrator. We
recommend naming it 'database'.
DatafilePath Set to the path you want to use as the
default for import and export
operations. We recommend naming it
'data'.
FileNameDatabaseDump Set to the full file name of the
file you want the Quasar Database
Administrator to use for the 'dump'
operation.
LogPath Set to the path you want the transaction
journal files to reside in. Make sure
to create this directory before starting
General Information Page 5 of 7
the Quasar Database Administrator. If
not specified, DatabasePath is used. We
recommend letting it default to
DatabasePath.
[QuasarQe] Identifies a block of entries as
belonging to the Quasar Query Editor.
Acknowledge Set to '0' or '1'. When set to '1'
causes the Quasar Query Editor to
display an informational dialog box
every time a query completes.
DataFilePath Set to the path you want to use as the
default for file operations. We
recommend naming it 'data'.
OpenNew Set to '0' or '1'. When set to '1'
causes the Quasar Query Editor to
automatically create a new 'pad' when
the Query Editor first starts.
UserName Set to 'SYSTEM'. This identifies the
default user name.
UserPassword Set to 'QUASAR'. This identifies the
default user password.
WarnOnClose Set to '0' or '1'. When set to '1'
causes the Quasar Query Editor to prompt
the user for a file name before closing
a pad which contains text not yet saved
to disk.
SQL For Windows also relies upon the international date and
time settings. The Windows defaults are fine and you can
leave them alone. If you've changed them, don't worry, time
stamps are saved in binary and not converted to
international format until used for output. If you're
interested, we recommend the following settings:
[intl]
iDate=0
iTime=0
iTLZero=1
s1159=AM
s2359=PM
sDate=/
sShortDate=MM/dd/yy
sTime=:
International date and time settings are most easily changed
via Microsoft's Windows Control Panel. Select the
"International" icon then click on either "date" or "time".
General Information Page 6 of 7
6) Use Microsoft's Program Manager to create a new program
group:
a) select 'File', 'New'
b) select 'Program Group', 'OK'
c) Enter description: 'Quasar', group file: 'QUASAR'
d) select 'OK'
7) Use Microsoft's Program Manager to create two new program
items:
a) select 'File', 'New'
b) select Program Item, 'OK'
c) Enter description: 'Dba', command line: 'DBA.EXE'
d) select 'OK'
e) select 'File', 'New'
f) select Program Item, 'OK'
g) Enter description: 'Qe', command line: 'QE.EXE'
h) select 'OK'
8) Start the Quasar Database Administrator by clicking on the
'Dba' Icon in the Microsoft Program Manager. When the
Quasar Database Administrator complains that it can't find a
database, click on "OK". Now select 'Toolbox' in the main
menu. Select the 'Install' entry, this will install the
database in the directory identified by the 'DatabasePath'
setting described above.
9) At this point the database is fully installed. To run some
sample queries, see the section "Example Queries" below.
10) If you're not going to use the Quasar SQL Applications
Programming Interface (API), you may exit ('Exit' is in the
'File' menu) the Quasar Database Administrator.
11) If you intend to use the Quasar SQL API for 'C' program
development: Move SQL.LIB into some directory where it is
accessible by your linker (usually c:\windev\lib). Move
SQL.H to a directory where it is accessible to the compiler
(usually c:\c\include). You will probably want to read
SQL.DOC. A sample application program is included as
EXAMPLEC.*. You ought to compile, link and run it (the
batch file EXAMPLEC.BAT is included to accomplish this) to
familiarize yourself with the Quasar SQL API.
General Information Page 7 of 7
12) If you intend to use the Quasar SQL API for 'Visual Basic'
program development: A sample application program is
included. Move EXAMBLEB.* to a directory where you keep
your 'Visual Basic' programs (usually c:\vb). You ought to
compile and run EXAMPLEB to familiarize yourself with the
Quasar SQL API. You will probably want to read SQL.DOC.
Example Queries
You will probably want to run our examples to familiarize
yourself with the operation of SQL For Windows.
1) Start the Quasar Database Administrator by clicking on the
'Dba' Icon in the Microsoft Program Manager. The database
ought to start automatically. If you didn't set AutoStart=1
in the WIN.INI file, when the Quasar Database
Administrator's window appears select 'Control' from its
menu. Select the 'Start' entry, this will start the
database.
2) Start the Quasar Query Editor by clicking on the 'Qe' icon
in the Microsoft Program Manager. When the Quasar Query
Editor's window appears select 'File' from its menu. Now
select the 'Open' entry and open the file CREATE.SQL. When
its text appears in a pad select the menu commands
'Database', 'Execute' (or hit control/x). This query
creates the tables of the example database.
3) Now go to the Quasar Database Administrator and select the
menu commands 'File', 'Import'. Select the file
EXAMPLE.DAT. The 'Import' loads the data in EXAMPLE.DAT
into the tables you created with CREATE.SQL.
4) You can now execute any of the sample queries. Go to the
Quasar Query Editor, open a file (for example QUERY01.SQL)
and execute it. Files which contain select statements will
cause the Quasar Query Editor to open a new pad and place
the results as text into the new pad. You may then edit the
data and/or save it to a file using the 'File', 'Save As'
commands.
5) To remove the sample data from the database just execute the
SQL 'drop table' statements in the DROP.SQL file.
6) You are now ready to write your own SQL statements and
create your own database.
Stellar Industries: (714) 861-7885
3335 S. Falcon Ridge Road
Diamond Bar, CA 91765