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PERL and Access

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smileyone

Technical User
Jul 5, 2000
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I have a question.&nbsp;&nbsp;I need to do a script that checks a website and compairs the information on that site against the information in MS Access.<br><br>Is this possible through PERL?
 
Yes it is possible.<br><br>Have a look at: : <A HREF=" TARGET="_new"> DBI is a Perl module that connects you to a database. Through DBI you can use quite a few databases including Access. One of its advantages is that you can write your perl application using the Perl::DBI and Acess and then, when you need to upgrade move to a bigger database like Oracle without changes.<br><br>I use DBI at work and have found it to be very reliable.<br><br>Another option is the ODBC Perl module which is also quite widely used. I have no experience with Perl::ODBC but have heard that it's OK.<br> <p>Mike<br><a href=mailto:michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com>michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com</a><br><a href= Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a><br>
 
Can an MS Access file be read under Perl on a Linux server and if so, how?<br><br>Don
 
You *can* read/write an access file on a Win machine from a linux (or any) box using DBI and its proxy server. This isn't quite what you asked for but may serve your purposes.<br><br>The proxy server is run on the Win box, Perl (using DBI) runs on the Linux box.<br><br>This is quite well documented in the Perl DBI book (The Cheetah Book) and in the online DBI documentation.<br><br>On the other (and simpler) hand. If you only need to have the data from the Access db available to the linux box (as oppsed to being able to read and write it at the same time as other processes) you could just export the data from Access as a .csv file, transfer the file and process the data using Perl without any clever modules.. <br> <p>Mike<br><a href=mailto:michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com>michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com</a><br><a href= Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a><br>
 
Thanks Mike!&nbsp;&nbsp;I was trying to avoid the import/export stuff but I thought it might be the only way. Since that's the case, I'll come up with another way to maintain the data in flat text format rather than import/export - upload/download all the time. I found a prewritten script that will do it easily, but it would need a separate copy for each table, not really a big deal excpept that it is a large script.&nbsp;&nbsp;Maybe I can come up with a subroutine to load the setup part needed for each one into the same script.<br><br>Now if I can find a Perl application that can tie the two tables together in a presentable form to match the current HTML version that I am using . . .<br><br>Don
 
&lt;smile&gt; I seem to be plugging DBI quite a bit recently (I think it's rather good, sad of me I know).<br><br>Now, if I could only get someone to take my advice and actually start using it.... Ho Hum.... <p>Mike<br><a href=mailto:michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com>michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com</a><br><a href= Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a><br>
 
Mike, I have heard of DBI but don't know much about it. Maybe you could tell me, either directly or via this forum?<br><br>My Linux server is through a service provider so, unfortunately, I cannot install anything that would have to go on their end of things.&nbsp;&nbsp;I have access to my own account and Perl, but that's about it.&nbsp;&nbsp;If there were some kind of Perl library that I could load on my account that would read Access files, then I could do it, or if DBI had its own format and could act as a replacement I could do it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>The site I would need it on is an informational site run for free out of my pocket so obviously I couldn't buy something that may or may not work to do what I need!&nbsp;&nbsp;I may have to get a programmer to do it for me (if I can find one) since my skills in Perl are very limited to the point of not being there.<br><br>Don<br>
 
Hi Don,<br><br>The link to find out all about DBI is:<br><br><A HREF=" TARGET="_new"> I'm happy to help with what I know about it either here on via email (probably better here in a new thread so that others can contribute to - as long as it's not confidential of course)<br><br>If you're running Perl on your ISP's box then DBI would need to be installed there - which it may or may not be.<br><br>If it is - there's a DBI module that can work with .csv files as if they were an SQL database so it might be worth a look if your ISP does support DBI. If they don't they might be persuaded to install DBI and DBD::CSV which is all it would take I think. <p>Mike<br><a href=mailto:michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com>michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com</a><br><a href= Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a><br>
 
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