Anyway, my question is re MS SQL - What is is exactly??? I know if you
run
a query in Access there is a SQL view... IS that it or is there a
seperate
program (i.e. MS SQL)??????
There are two parts to applications when you write them. You have the
program part with all the forms, reports quires (sql). This is the
application part that you as a developer create. You might not be writing
code, but even when you build forms with wizards you are building an
application part.
When you fire up the query builder in your application you are simply
creating sql statements. This language is called SQL (structured query
language). You don't want to confuse the simple use or writing of sql (the
query language) with that of the actual database engine that will
**execute** that sql you send to the data engine.
In the case of MS access when you write that SQL, you can use the built in
database engine called "jet".
As you mentioned, you likely seen the names like SQL server, oracle, or
mySQL. These systems are usually installed on a stand alone server. You then
send that server SQL, and it sends you back the data. So SQL server systems
are data systems only. You don't build forms, reports, or anything else on
that sql server. All you do is send it SQL commands and it returns data.
These systems are ideal for corporate enterprise because you can build an
application in visual basic, an application in MS access, and build a web
site in a web site language. All of these systems can then send SQL commands
to the sql server. In other words if you had some web based application that
gathers data from the customers on web forms, you could build an internal
application with MS access, and link your tables that SQL server.
So the SQL server is just a box that runs the database engine, and it's
separate from the software.
When you start using MS access, you're using the development and application
part. You also write sql and that sql has to be "sent" somewhere. There is a
"built-in" data engine to ms-access called JET.
However, if you need "many" users to share the data with, then it not going
to work very well if everybody in your building has to connect to your
computer to get that data (and what would happen if he had to do things like
reset or reboot your computer. Those people who are connected to your data
will be much effected. So, as you have more and more users to share the same
data, it makes more sense to dedicate one box that only does the one thing
and that's a dish out data in response to sql statements.
So, as the needs of a company grow, they thus tend to set aside a separate
computer running SQL server. Then all applications such as visual basic,
c++, MS access, the web site server can then ALL connect to that one SQL
server to share data. And, all of these applications will send sql commands
to the server.
So it's important to note that the SQL server can NOT build forms. You
generally build reports and forms and use some programming language that is
100% separate from that sql server.
MS access is not a database system nor is it a database engine. ms-access is
a set of tools that allow you to build applications and write code and build
forms and reports. That application you build can then use a good number of
different data engines. Choices range from the built in mdb file (you using
the jet engine when you do this), or you can link your tables to SQL server,
oracle, or just about any database engine of your choice (anyone that
supports sql).
It makes no sense to install and setup a sql server system on your laptop.
However, the instant you want things like web sites, and all kinds of other
applications connecting to that data, then SQL server starts to make a lot
of sense.
I have (preinstalled on my laptop when i purchased it:
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (folder)
Under that I have a folder entitled 'Configuration Tools' containing the
following programs:
- SQL Server Configuration Manager
- SQL Server Error and Usuage Reporting
- SQL Server Surface Error Configuration
It sure looks like you have a copy of SQL server on your laptop. However,
you don't need it with MS access unless you're planning to have a lot of
other applications or users connect to the same data (and if you are
planning this, then the data would not be placed on your laptop computer
would it?).
so
ms-access = tool to write code, and pull data from a database engine via
sql.
sql server = some server that your applications send sql to (that sql likely
was built with the applications query builder tools).
So, one is an application development tool (that lets you write sql
commands), and sql server is simply the database engine that accepts this
sql.
