how to create a database ?

[gjoisa]

Hi I am writing an astrology program for which i need a database containing latitude longitude informations . Required fields are :
1. Name of the Place eg:Mumbai
2. Latitude (Degrees , minutes , North or South)eg:18:58 N
3. Longitude (degrees , Minutes , West or East)eg:72:50 E
4. Timezone (Hours and minutes)eg:+5:30
How to create it ?

[Erel]

For small - medium databases I recommend you to use the Table control.
You can create a CSV (comma separated file) with any text editor and then load it to the table with Table.LoadCSV.

For large databases you should use the SQL library.

[BjornF]

Hi Gjoisa,

the easiest way to do it is to use a comma delimited file (for small databases).

Put a table-control on the form you will be using and then create the table by adding columns to it e.g.:
table1.AddCol (cString, "PlaceName", 0) and so on for each column you want to add (the syntax is under "addcol", under "table" in the helpfile)

Once you have created the columns in the table you can fill it with data (see "cell" under "table" in the helpfile)

Finally you save it with e.g.
table1.SaveCSV, e.g. Table1.SaveCSV ("Astrology.csv", ",", True)
once again the syntax is in the helpfile. The resulting file can be read by any text editor e.g. notepad.

I assure you, it is very straightforward - to my mind that is what makes it so nice to work with Basic4ppc

Good luck ! / Björn

Edit: As always Erel succeeds in answering first - but this time your comment is shorter than mine !

[Stellaferox]

Just a question that pops into mind: is there a way to create a CSV-database, using the FileWrite method? I know I can write a comma after each entry but in the textmode each entry takes up a line. I want to see the data after one another in textmode (as if opened by a texteditor). Is that possible?

[BjornF]

Hi Stellarefox,

I think so, these lines write 10 lines in three columns, separated by a comma. Is that what you were asking for?

FileOpen(c1,AppPath&"\test.csv",cWrite)
For i=0 To 10
FileWrite(c1,"This is record "&i&" col 1, This is record "&i&" col 2, This is record "&i&" col 3")
Next
FileClose(c1)

all the best / Björn

[gjoisa]

can you tell me with example to create database with SQL ?

[BjornF]

Dear Gjoisa,

there is actually quite a good example in the helpfile, but here is a something I have used myself:

con.New1
cmd.New1("",con.Value)
con.Open("Data Source = " & DataF)

TableFields="Cat text, Title text, Note text, Deadline text"
Txt="create table if not exists MainTable (" & TableFields & ")"
cmd.CommandText=Txt
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery
cmd.CommandText="create table if not exists CatTable (Dummy text, Vis integer, Cat text)"
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery

It tries to open DataF. If the file does not exist or the database doesn't exist then it creates a database with two tables (MainTable and CatTable), the first with four fields and the second with three fields (the "text" is put in there to give the type of field). The database is opened with filename DataF.

But may I suggest that you have a look at the helpfile - it is really quite helpful

all the best / Björn

[Stellaferox]

Hi Bjorn,

That is the problem, the FileWrite only takes one parameter at the time and moves on to the next line with a CRLF.
Marc

[BjornF]

Hi Marc,

but if you write it all together (e.g. "this is col1, this is col2, this is col3") then you will end up with three columns if you open this as a database.

If this isn't what you were asking about then I'm afraid I didn't understand the question, could you explain further?

all the best / Björn

[Stellaferox]

Yes you're right there, but I want to read the file using the SplitString feature on the comma's and it won't look "into" the string if there are any comma's. I want to separate the entries with comma's in one long line actually, just as CSV files.
marc