Deploying ODBC connection
2

Question

Deploying ODBC connection

MathiasB (Programmer)

(OP)

13 Nov 19 11:43

Hi all,

I have a VFP client database that's full of remote views to an SQL Server database.

For simplicity there's a connection (user & password) to a named instance of SQL.

I know to make sure whatever ODBC driver is installed on clients.

But how does one actually deploy 'the existing' connection on clients, please?

Any advice, best practice much appreciated.

Thank you

Mathias

Mike Lewis (Programmer) · Answer 1 · 2019-11-13 11:52:03

You've got two options.

First option, create a File DSN:

1. Open the ODBC applet as usual.

2. Go to the File DSN tab.

3. Click Add and go through the steps.

4. You will be prompted for a file name. Choose a file and location for saving the DSN file.

5. On completion, you will have all the DSN settings saved in that file (it will have the extension DSN). You can distribute the file to your users.

Second option: Within VFP, use SQLSTRINGCONNECT() to connect to the driver. You pass it a string containing the relevant ODBC parameters. In this case, you don't need to distribute anything to the users (assuming they have the correct driver installed, of course).

Mike

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Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

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Mike Lewis (Programmer) · Answer 2 · 2019-11-13 11:55:57

By the way, the DSN file is an ordinary text file which contains the same parameters that you would pass to SQLSTRINGCONNECT(). So another option would be to create the DSN file, then use that text to create the string that you pass to SQLSTRINGCONNECT(), after which you can discard the file.

Mike

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Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

MathiasB (Programmer) · Answer 3 · 2019-11-13 12:14:34

That's great Mike

I'll have a play with that cheers

KR

Mathias

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Deploying ODBC connection
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