Reading my Access database before tomorrow

[Lin DeNoyer]

I am so mad at microsoft right now! They just told me - 10 days after I
placed my order for an upgrade to Office 2003 Pro - that they canceled the
order because the credit card info didn't match the shipping info. (It did
match, unless I made an error entering the credit card number on line! But
they had my phone number, and email address, so 10 days is no excuse.)

Now I am in a bind, and so asking for help. Is there any program that will
let me read an Access database?

I need to do this before tomorrow. Tomorrow I meet with a group of
students who are doing a Java project. They will take an Access database
(and accompanying code that processes it) into Java. I need to be able to
read the database and display it completely, so that the students can see
the structure of the database.

Suggestions? (I thought of downloading a trial copy of Access, but
Microsoft doesn't allow that. I thought of going to a store and buying a
copy of Access, but I am so mad right now I refuse to shell out the $$$)

Is there a free DB program that will read my Access database? Or is there
an alternative to Access that I might prefer, given my recent experience
with Microsoft?

Thank you for any suggestions or help,
Lin DeNoyer

[DFS]

"Lin DeNoyer" <lk**@cornell.edu> wrote in message
news:c1**********@news01.cit.cornell.edu...

I am so mad at microsoft right now! They just told me - 10 days after I
placed my order for an upgrade to Office 2003 Pro - that they canceled the
order because the credit card info didn't match the shipping info. (It did match, unless I made an error entering the credit card number on line! But they had my phone number, and email address, so 10 days is no excuse.)

Now I am in a bind, and so asking for help. Is there any program that will let me read an Access database?

I need to do this before tomorrow. Tomorrow I meet with a group of
students who are doing a Java project. They will take an Access database
(and accompanying code that processes it) into Java. I need to be able to
read the database and display it completely, so that the students can see
the structure of the database.

Suggestions? (I thought of downloading a trial copy of Access, but
Microsoft doesn't allow that. I thought of going to a store and buying a
copy of Access, but I am so mad right now I refuse to shell out the $$$)

Is there a free DB program that will read my Access database? Or is there
an alternative to Access that I might prefer, given my recent experience
with Microsoft?

Don't know of any free programs, Lin, but:

* try downloading a trial version of this ER diagramming tool Case Studio
http://www.casestudio.com/enu/default.aspx It will give you a far better
ER diagram than what's included in the Access Relationships window.

* you might try Kinko's. Some of their locations have Office installed on
computers you can rent by the hour/minute.

* you can buy the Access 2003 upgrade for about $100.

* here's some Java code I wrote that might get you started using the
JDBC-ODBC bridge driver to examine an Access .mdb. It won't give you any
kind of ER diagram, though.

import java.sql.*;

public class DFSPeople {

public static void main(String[] arguments) {

String data = "jdbc:odbc:DFSDB";
String hotelData = "";
String cSQL = "";
int i = 0;

try {
Class.forName("sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver");
Connection conn = DriverManager.getConnection(data, "DFS",
"password");
Statement st = conn.createStatement();

//DATA FOR HOTEL PROPERTIES
cSQL = "SELECT * FROM TL_RESTRICTED_ID;";
System.out.println(cSQL);
ResultSet rec = st.executeQuery(cSQL);
ResultSetMetaData recmd = rec.getMetaData();

//FIELD TYPES
System.out.println(recmd.getColumnCount() + " columns");
for (i = 1; i <= recmd.getColumnCount(); i++)
{ System.out.println(recmd.getColumnName(i) + ": " +
recmd.getColumnTypeName(i) + " (" + recmd.getColumnDisplaySize(i) + ")");}

//SHOW FIELD NAMES
String fieldNames = "";
for (i = 1; i <= recmd.getColumnCount(); i++)
{fieldNames = fieldNames + recmd.getColumnName(i) + "\t";}
System.out.println(fieldNames);
//SHOW RECORDS
while(rec.next()) {
for (i = 1; i <= recmd.getColumnCount(); i++)
{hotelData = hotelData + rec.getString(i) + "\t\t";}
System.out.println(hotelData);
hotelData = "";
}

//CLOSE STATEMENT
st.close();
//ERROR HANDLING
} catch (SQLException s) {
System.out.println("SQL Error: " + s.toString() + " "
+ s.getErrorCode() + " " + s.getSQLState());
} catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println("Error: " + e.toString()
+ e.getMessage());
}
}
}


Thank you for any suggestions or help,
Lin DeNoyer

[Lin DeNoyer]

DFS,

Thank you very much for your help. I learned that the database is ultimate
simplicity (as I suspected). I think they call it flat file. 5 columns.

I will share your code with the student programmers.

Lin