How can I access a SQL Database from Reality

Reality has built in drivers for ODBC and JDBC connections to SQL Databases. However, there's also Foreign Database Support for access at the file and application level.

Foreign Database Support provides Reality with access to data held on SQL-based foreign databases. There are two ways of achieving this, using Reality-specific storage format or Data exchange storage format, each require working ODBC installation, appropriate driver(s) and Data Source Definition(s) on the Reality system.

Reality-specific storage format

The Foreign Database is set up to emulate Reality files, allowing applications to store data within the SQL Database. Refer to the commands FDB-SET and FBD-CLEAR that enables CREATE-FILE to use foreign SQL Databases rather than Reality to store all file date.

Data Exchange storage format

Refer to the command SQL-VIEW that is used to provide Reality with a view of data held in SQL Databases. Reality applications can then efficiently read and write within the foreign SQL Database, with the data remaining in the foreign SQL Database format. 

ODBC & JDBC SQL Database Access

In order to create SQL catalogs on a Reality Database and setup connections using ODBC/JDBC refer to SQL for Reality in the Contents section of the Reality Documentation.

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