MichaelTWG writes "I am working on a project using perl to connect ot an Access2000 DB on NT. All of the work I've done with perl so far has been on various *nix servers, but the person I am working with is well accomplished with NT. Despite this we are having great difficulty installing the ODBC::DBI to connect my perl app to the Access DB. Once I can get the perl script to get the info out of the fields, I'm fine, the rest is just banging me head against the screen until it does what I want. But I can't do that until this interface works.
Is there a breakdown for installing the DBI on NT somewhere or would someone do a favor and help me out?
Help?
"
[Normally I wouldn't post this as a story, because it's mostly just tech support for a limited audience.
However, we in the non-Windows population need to read about and learn from Windows problems, so we can help others similarly afflicted either to get their work done or have a good reason to leave Windows for greener pastures. --Chip]
Doesn't the Active State stuff work?
jzawodn on 2000-06-05T04:03:24
Back in my previous job, I was on Windows NT. I used Perl to talk to Access, Oracle, and Micros~1 SQL Server. I just used the Perl that
ActiveState produced. I used their Perl Package Manager (PPM) to install DBI (including DBD::ODBC) and I was off and running.
There's also a Perl-Win32-Database mailing list that was rather helpful.
Ick.
pudge on 2000-06-05T15:53:53
I think there is no reason to pollute this site with such questions. Leave 'em for clp.misc.
Re:Ick.
chip on 2000-06-05T19:14:49
I am filled with shame.
Well, OK, I'm a little ashamed.
No, come to think of it, I'm not ashamed at all. But I won't do it again.
Re:Ick.
pudge on 2000-06-05T19:18:51
:-)
Re:Ick.
dws on 2000-06-05T20:00:31
I think there is no reason to pollute this site with such questions. Leave 'em for clp.misc.If use.perl.org is going to be useful as a Perl community site, it might help to draw a clearer boundary. The question seemed like a fair one to me, but your response leaves me puzzled. Are people who use ActiveState Perl part of the Perl community? Are people who use DBI on Win32 inside the line as long as they're not connecting to a Microsoft database? Where's the line?
Re:Ick.
pudge on 2000-06-05T20:15:54
The line has nothing to do with Windows. It has to do with "I can't do __put task that should be solvable with documentation here__" questions. This site is not a help desk. There are plenty of sites and newsgroups and mailing lists that are.
I don't want to sound too harsh or mean, but I also don't want this site to turn into a help desk. Please, feel free to tell me I am right or wrong on this. I ultimately run the site, but if most of everyone thinks I am out to lunch, then we'll change it.
Re:Ick.
dws on 2000-06-05T21:03:05
This site is not a help desk.
Fair enough, though at the moment that isn't evident given a cursory read of the FAQ and About pages. (A reference there to perlguru.com might be helpful for answer seekers.)
Re:Ick.
Silver on 2000-06-06T02:51:54
This site is not a help desk. There are plenty of sites and newsgroups and mailing lists that are.
If you know of one that deals with Perl on the AS/400, by all means, let me know...
Re:Doesn't the Active State stuff work?
excalibor on 2000-06-06T09:23:26
Poor 'me too' post, but my experience with Access (NT 4.0/Office 2000) and DBI with ActiveState Perl (5.005_3, build... well, I don't remember the build
:) is pretty good...
Again, used the ppm tool to install DBI and DBD::ODBC... I remember we had to activate the ODBC driver for Access in the Control Panel though...
Also, I agree, use Perl; shouldn't be a help desk, but once a poster (Chip of all of them
:-) does decide to post this, why not to be helpful? Just a constructive criticism...
Re:Ick.
pudge on 2000-06-06T11:30:45
Yes, though it is apparent from some of the discussions (though I cannot expect everyone to have read them). This site is new and in progress, and I will get a FAQ up ASAP.
Re:Ick.
pudge on 2000-06-06T11:33:00
This may help, from perlport.pod:
The perl-mvs@perl.org list is for discussion of porting issues as well as
general usage issues for all EBCDIC Perls. Send a message body of
"subscribe perl-mvs" to majordomo@perl.org.
Re:Doesn't the Active State stuff work?
pudge on 2000-06-06T11:34:46
Also, I agree, use Perl; shouldn't be a help desk, but once a poster (Chip of all of them :-) does decide to post this, why not to be helpful? Just a constructive criticism...
Well, no one is precluding anyone from being helpful. I didn't stop anyone from posting, and I didn't delete the story. So by all means, be helpful. :-)
Re:Ick.
Silver on 2000-06-06T14:40:35
The perl-mvs@perl.org list is for discussion of porting issues as well as general usage issues for all EBCDIC Perls.
Yeah, unfortunately it is mostly about porting, or about OS/390, which is an altogether different beast... the "all EBCDIC Perls" bit is a little overambitious, especially given the name of the list (the MVS bit).
Not, I guess, that it matters, since I won't have access to an AS/400 after the 16th. It would just be rilly rilly cool to move all the Perl apps (which the RPG programmers will be stuck maintaining anyway, heh) from my PC to the Magic Box before I leave. Makes 'em more respectable. But I can't really do that without having a place to point them for help.
