OAHELPER

Generate an Environment Source File from a Database

OAHELPER is a console application that reads native data files and generates an environment catalog source file. In many cases, you can simply compile this source file into a usable environment catalog. However, you should always verify the output for any unexpected values.

OAHELPER has two modes of operation: system prompts and command line directives. The required information is the same for both but the method in which it runs is different, as shown below.

Prompts

Run OAHELPER at the system prompt:

oahelper

OAHELPER displays the following menu:

1. Generate Environment Source file from a database.
2. Generate DBINSTAL Indexing/Build script from existing installation.
3. Generate Environment Source file from existing installation.
4. Generate Migration scripts from existing installation.

E to Exit oahelper.

Enter menu number, ? for help, or 'E' to Exit:

Select option 1. Generate Environment Source file from a database. OAHELPER displays a menu of databases from which it can generate an environment source file.

Generate an environment file from:

1. Oracle
2. Informix
3. ODBC
4. DB2
5. SQL Server

Enter choice or ? for help:

Select a database. OAHELPER prompts for the following information about the data files:

Database Name

Enter the name of the database to use to generate the DATABASE statement of the environment source file.

Table list (table, owner.table, or *)

Enter the names of tables defined in the database separated by commas as shown in parentheses beside the prompt. To include all tables created for the database, enter an asterisk ( * ).

All the tables you include here must be accessible to the user you declare at the Default User name: prompt. If any one user cannot access all the tables you want accessible to OmniAccess, consider creating several environment catalog files, each with a different set of tables from the same database. Do not use a table in more than one environment catalog.

Environment logical name [ORDERS_ENV]

Enter a logical name to assign to the environment through the ENVIRONMENT statement. The name MUST BEGIN WITH A LETTER, a - Z (case insensitive) and may contain up to 32 characters including letters, numbers and allowed special characters.

Database logical name [ORDERS]

Enter the name you want to use to refer to the database through OmniAccess applications. The name MUST BEGIN WITH A LETTER, A-Z (case insensitive) and may contain up to 32 characters including letters, numbers and allowed special characters.

Database physical name [orders]

Enter the physical path to the database. This information declares a PHYSICAL location for the database in the environment catalog.

Index prefix [orders]

Enter the physical path and root name for any indexes created when OMNIDEX is installed on the compiled environment catalog.

Default User name

Enter the name of a database user that can access all the tables you declared at the Table list (table, owner.table, or *): prompt. This, and the Default password: below, form the basis of the USERCLASS statement.

Default password

Enter the password of the user declared at the Default User name: prompt.

Environment source to generate [orders.src] (or / for screen output)

Enter the name you want to assign to the environment source file that OAHELPER will create.

OAHELPER will now generate the environment source file using the information provided.

You should verify that the information generated by OAHELPER is accurate before compiling it into an environment catalog.

Command Line Directives

Command line directives are designed to allow OAHELPER to be run without prompts, through an executable batch file. Most of the directives are required with the exception of a few that are only required for certain database platforms.

-env
Operation. This directive instructs OAHELPER to generate an environment source file.

-env_dbtype=type
Database type. Valid types are:
ORA - Oracle
INF - Informix
ODB - ODBC
DB2 - DB2
SSV - SQL Server

-env_dbname=name
Database logical name. This is the name that you will refer to in OmniAccess applications. The name MUST BEGIN WITH A LETTER, a-Z (case insensitive) and may contain up to 32 characters including letters, numbers and allowed special characters.

-env_dbtablelist=list
Table list. * for all tables.

-env_envname=name
Environment logical name. This is the name to assign to the environment in the ENVIRONMENT statement. The name MUST BEGIN WITH A LETTER, a - Z (case insensitive) and may contain up to 32 characters including letters, numbers and allowed special characters.

-env_oracle_sqlnet=name
Oracle SQL*Net service name. Only required if the underlying database is Oracle SQL*Net.

-env_odbc_ds_type=type
ODBC data source type. Only required if the underlying database is accessed through ODBC, like SQL Server and DB2. The data source will be an ODBC data source, NOT and Omnidex data source.
Valid entries are:
S - System
U - User
F - File

-env_odbc_ds_name=name
ODBC data source name if ODBC data source type is System or User.
Fully qualified file name of the ODBC file data source, if ODBC data source type if File.
Only required if the underlying database is accessed through ODBC, like SQL Server and DB2.

-env_dbphysical=name
Database physical name. This is the physical location of the database.

-env_indexprefix=prefix
Index prefix. If the indexes are to be stored in a location other than the Omnidex environment catalog, include the path with the index prefix.

-env_dbusername=name
Database user name. Database login name, if required.

-env_dbpassword=password
Database password. Database password, if required.

-env_dbversion=version
Database version. Database version number.

-env_out=filename
Output file name.

Sample

This sample demonstrates using OAHELPER to generate an environment source file for the ORDERS sample database in SQL Server using command line directives.

oahelper -env -env_dbtype=SSV -env_dbname=ORDERS_DB -env_dbtablelist=* -env_envname=ORDERS_ENV -env_odbc_ds_type=F -env_odbc_ds_name=c:\datasources\odbc_orders_ssv.dsn -env_indexprefix=idx\ORD_ -env_dbversion=8 -env_out=orders_ssv.src

-env tells OAHELPER that this operation will create an environment source file.

-env_dbtype=SSV means the underlying database is SQL Server.

-env_dbname=ORDERS_DB is the logical database name that will be defined in the environment source file.

-env_dbtablelist=* means an environment source entry will be generated for all tables in the database.

-env_envname=ORDERS_ENV is the logical environment name that will be defined in the environment source file.

-env_odbc_ds_type=F means the ODBC data source is a file data source.

-env_odbc_ds_name=c:\datasources\odbc_orders_ssv.dsn is the location and file name of the ODBC data source. This is how OAHELPER will connect to the SQL Server database at this time. This data source will NOT be used for future connections.

-env_indexprefix=idx\ORD_ is the location and filename prefix that will be assigned to the index files. They will be stored in the idx subdirectory of the location where the environment catalog is stored.

-env_dbversion=8 is the SQL Server version.

-env_out=orders_ssv.src is the output file for the environment source. It will be created in the current working directory.

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