Who needs it?
Universal Database Viewer(UDBV) is an utility for database browsing. It provides a simple interface for viewing any data you like. For example, there is a database on your or remote system and you need to browse its contents but you don't have/don't want to have/don't like the client-side software for viewing this database. In this case you can use UDBV . The only thing you need is JDBC driver for the database.
How does it work
"Create connection" dialog.
When starts the program shows "Create connection" dialog. There are four text fields: "Driver", "DB Name", "User" and "Password". In the "Driver" field you must specify the driver that your database uses. "DB Name" must contain the following information: "jdbc:(db's driver):(path to db)". As you guessed "User" and "Password" fields must contain user name and password accordingly; if these parameters are not required leave the fields blank. When pressing "OK" button the program tries to connect to the specified database. If the connection is successfull UDBV receives information about all available tables and places their names in the combobox "Tables", otherwise it shows error message. If it takes a lot of time to receive information (for ex. remote db) you see rolling stick in the status label: it means that program is not hanged and you should wait while transaction completed. See "Examples" section.
Main window.
If connection established you can use combobox with fields' names to select the one you need. Then press "Retrieve information" button. The contents of the specified table must be in the frame after all the transactions completed. You can sort its contents by clicking columns' headers and customize their size with the help of popup menu. When you finished your work you should close connection by clicking button "Disconnect" button or "Connection" -> "Close current" menu item. To create new connection click "New connection" button or "Connection" -> "Create new" menu item.
JDBC driver
The most difficult thing for users is to find and use a JDBC driver. For this purpose you should read you database documentation and clear out what type of JDBC driver may be used, how it can be used and where can you get it. Sometimes you can use the default jdbc:odbc driver provided with your JRE, sometimes it is supplied with the database software, sometimes you have to download the driver from Internet. You can look for your driver on http://www.java.sun.com/jdbc where all the registered drivers are stored. Since you've got the driver carefully read the documentation it is supplied with. There you will find all the necessary information about the driver installation. I can only add that the driver's archive must be in the CLASSPATH variable of your system, otherwise you'll get "Class not found" error.
Examples.
If you use "Microsoft Access" database file the JDBC driver will be default "jdbc:odbc:JdbcOdbcDriver" driver
supplied with JRE. So, in the "Driver" field type "sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver". In the "DB name" field: "jdbc:odbc:(dbname)";
ex. "jdbc:odbc:clients" where "clients" is the name of shared database.
For "Informix Cloudscape" users driver is supplied with software. Its driver is "COM.cloudscape.core.JDBCDriver".
"DB name" may looks as follow: "jdbc:cloudscape:c:\data\stocks\stock3DB".
There are a lot of drivers for "MySQL" database. One of them is twz1.jdbc.mysql.jdbcMysqlDriver. Using it
the "DB name" may content "jdbc:z1MySQL://somehost/partners?name=smith".
Copyright © 2001 Artyom Rabzonov
