SQL Server comes in many flavors and versions and it is all far too complicated to attempt a thorough explanation here. However, a few notes may be helpful:
| • | If you don’t already have it installed, you may want to start with the free version, SQL Server Express. |
| • | Unlike the case with MySQL where we created a connector based on the native/proprietary database interface, for SQL Server we are using the standard ODBC interface. (This is actually what Microsoft recommends now, and appearances to the contrary, is what the ADO and other higher level Microsoft interfaces are based on.) So, after installing the database (on the “server”), on each client PC you’ll need to use the Microsoft Data Sources manager (typically found in the Administrative Tools) to define a data source. (The data source name will need to be passed in the –host= parameter of the SQLOP_CONNECT connection string.) |
| • | It helps to have some sample data to work with. Microsoft offers a couple of sample databases, Northwinds (said to “work” with SQL Server 2008 but now deprecated in favor of…) and AdventureWorks. Warning: the Adventureworks database is quite large – nearly 1GB, and you must install the full set of SQL Server tools (including full text search) in order to succeed in installing the sample database. If you prefer a more minimalist approach, you can use the import tool to import a spreadsheet file into a database, then define a Data Source for it. Having done that, you will be able to connect to the data source and create new tables (such as with the sqltest4 sample.) |
