Re: [foxboro] client server

I am confused about part of our discussion and I would like to restate
an earlier question.  I may be missing something.

Several responses refer to the capabilities of MS SQL *Server*.  When I
re-read the original question, I find that Alex asked if we wanted the
information in the form of SQL *tables*.  The question then was, "Given
that it [the data] is a report, what can I do with an SQL table that I
cannot do with an Excel spreadsheet?"  Restating the question, "What
information can we get from the data if it is in SQL form or XML form
than we cannot get if it is in ASCII?"  It is the exact same data!  The
only thing I see that we get is ease of use.  The important questions
for me then are:

o What format am I going to use it in most of the time?
o How many steps do I have to be manually involved with to get it there?
o What other, more useful, forms could I be storing the data in (the
point of this message)?

I agree with Jeremy that SQL rocks--even MS SQL. :)  Getting the data
there could be very useful.  I also agree with Corey that the data needs
to be available to Unix platforms as well as MS platforms.  I agree with
Kevin that XML has great potential, but I don't know enough about it to
give it a recommendation.  I can live with any of the solutions.=20

Though I run a Unix platform, I do most of my system planning on my MS
laptop.  As a result, my preference order and my concerns are:

1)    SQL Tables
If the data is presented in SQL format, it should be saved in a
widely-used format.  Are .dbf files still common to all databases?  Can
MySQL and PostgreSQL open MS database table formats? =20

2)    Excel workbook
OpenOffice Calc can open Excel spreadsheets, but can it import an SQL
table like MS Excel can?

3)    Delimited ASCII files with headings
Delimited ASCII is friendly to both Unix and MS and it is the lowest
common denominator, as Corey stated.  But, as such, it requires the most
refining to get knowledge out of the data. =20

4)    XML files
If it comes in XML format, it needs to be user friendly--very friendly.
And, I am sure it will be, so I am okay with it.

Given that changing from SQL table to spreadsheet to ASCII is trivial,
it makes me want to ask for the negated fifth choice.  How hard would it
really be to have "All" as an option?  It will probably only have to be
figured out once.  If iccprt has not changed much over the years, then
this solution would probably not have to fork later on down the road
either.  It would be similar to selecting the save format of a document.
I am just asking... :)




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