blueshell Data Guy Professional

The blueshell Data Guy Professional is an ADO-based editor for virtually all types of databases. This program supports Jet (Access and ISAMs like dBase, Paradox etc.), Oracle and SQL server. Additionally you can use other OLEDB or ODBC providers.

blueshell Data Guy Professional

The professional features are available with blueshell Data Guy Professional. You need a professional license in order to use it. During the trial period you may use the professional features without limitation. With a standard license the professional features aren't available. However, you may still run a limited test on the professional features with a standard license.

It's easy to upgrade to a professional license. Please select ? ?¨² About and you will find a link to further information.

Professional Mode - Viewing, editing and creating triggers, procedures and more

Select View ?¨² Professional to set your Data Guy to professional mode. The Connection window will now show an extended tree with database objects like triggers, stored procedures and sequences. Which additional objects are displayed depends on your database.

In professional mode the Table menu turns into an Object menu with an additional entry New Object. This enables you to create new objects of the additional types mentioned above.

SQL Cook

When using professional mode the SQL Cook is ready to assist you in designing SQL statements. When you're using the Open Command/SQL window or the object designer there is a menu SQL Cook:

SQL Cook

Insert Command

Inserts a whole SQL Command observing the syntax rules of your database system

Insert Expression

Inserts a SQL expression

Insert Field

Inserts a database field. When calling this function first, the Select Tables dialog (see below) is launched. Select the tables you want to use in your statement.Insert Field lets you choose from all columns of these tables.

Insert Field list

Inserts a whole list of fields as used in Select statements etc.

Insert Function

Inserts a SQL function

Insert other SQL item

Lets you pick a SQL syntax element from a list

Select Tables

Shows the Select Tables dialog. Choose a table from the Connections window and either double click it or choose Select from its context menu (available with a right click at the table's node).

When the cook is working, the window is split into two pieces. In the upper half of the dialog, SQL Cook is cooking your SQL statement. In the lower half, you can supply the cook with the appropriate ingredients, i.e. enter the requested information. Press "Next>>" to confirm these entries. Note, that you may edit the upper half by hand at any time! You may even enter some info into the lower-half controls and replace some other elements in the upper half by hand and then press "Next>>". Another option is to leave some controls untouched, to press "Next>>" and to enter the info later. Note, that you may drag the gap between the two window splits in order to resize them.

You may even extend the file Sql.ini in the blueshell Data Guy directory, but be careful - future setups may overwrite this file!

Creating objects

Make sure that your blueshell Data Guy is in professional mode. Select e.g. Object ?¨² New Object ?¨² View and the object designer will appear. You may press the Next>> button and the SQL Cook will ask you the information requested. If you are familiar with SQL you may also enter your SQL code directly. When you pressed Next>> and the SQL Cook detects that you've finished your entries the button Execute Create will be available. Press it to create your object.

If your SQL code worked you'll see your new object entered into Connections window's tree view. The object designer will still show your SQL code having its Execute button turned into Execute Alter. You may edit your code and press Execute Alter to modify your object.

There are some functions in the object designer:

Design

Open...

Opens an SQL statement from a file

Execute Create/Alter

Executes the SQL statement in Create or Alter variant in order to create or alter the object

Save

Saves the SQL statement to a file

Save as...

Saves the SQL statement to a file selecting a destination

Variant

Selects one of the variants available for the SQL statements

Auto

Selecting the variant automatically

Alter

Alter an existing object

Create

Create a new object

Open Structure...

(Available with Views) Opens the table designer in order to view column definition and to create tables with a similar structure

Close

Closes the designer

Altering objects

Make sure that your blueshell Data Guy is in professional mode. Select an object from the Connections window. Select Object ?¨² Design... in order to open the object designer. Edit the SQL code of the object and press Execute Alter to write the changes to your database. See above for details on the Design menu.

Select the connection where you want to add the table to. Select New from the Table menu. The Table Structure window appears. Define the fields of the new table:

1. Type in a Name for the field
2. Choose a Type for the field
   The drop down list contains up to three parts:
   1. Common types like Text, Boolean, Double, Date or AutoNumber
   2. Well-known types of the connection's provider starting with an underscore like _smallint
   3. ADO types starting with ad like adVariant
3. Specify Size and Scale. Some types need a size (like Text), some don't (like Double) whereas others may have both a size and a scale (like _number in Oracle).
4. Select Nullable if your field is allowed to hold Null values.
5. Select Unique if your field should be restricted to contain unique values (i.e., there are no two rows with the same value)

Use the Append or Insert button to add a new line, use the Delete button to delete a line or use the up/down button to move a line. Finally press Create Table to make the new table.

Tip: You may also copy a structure from an existing table (even from another connection) as a template for the new table. Use Design from the Table menu on the template table, apply your modifications to the list and finally press Create Table. Not enough? You may also export data from any table into a new table using the Export feature.