little help with Access/ODBC connections

LifeComITGuy

Hello folks, my first post with a question. 🆒

I was just tasked to write a proggy that will slice data from a pregenerated MDB and use it for billing. No big deal, except...

Each pregenerated MDB has a different name :mad: (although they all follow the same naming schema) From what I've read and used, I have to have a new System DSN for each database, which is just rediculous since the program will ChronJob on a daily basis when complete. Is there another way to access seperate MDBs without creating a new system DSN for each one?

Thanks in advance

Sphynx

I think if you're running under Windows you can use COM and a dsn-less connection, specifying the database name within the connection string.

Although if it was me, I'd certainly be pushing for a proper relational database... especially for something as important as billing 😉

Here's one example I found at php.net

$db_connection = new COM("ADODB.Connection");

$db_connstr = "DRIVER={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)}; DBQ=". realpath("../databases/database.mdb") ." ;DefaultDir=". realpath("../databases");
$db_connection->open($db_connstr);
$rs = $db_connection->execute("SELECT * FROM Table");
$rs_fld0 = $rs->Fields(0);
$rs_fld1 = $rs->Fields(1);
while (!$rs->EOF) {
  print "$rs_fld0->value $rs_fld1->value\n";
  $rs->MoveNext(); /* updates fields! */
}
$rs->Close();
$db_connection->Close();

(Prints first 2 columns for each row.)

http://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.com.php

LifeComITGuy

Haha, yea, if it were up to me, I'd toss it out the window too. Unfortunately, the MDB's are an output from a Helicopter GPS tracking software for tracking velocity in 3D for billing patients for actual mileage flown as opposed to straight line measurements. (Yea, I don't fully get it either, heh) I spoke with the company that designed the software to see if I could get direct access to their database and query it without having to deal with the MDB issue, and they laughed (of course, in their position, I would too) so it seems I'm stuck. Anyway, thanks for the help, I'm going to give it a try when I get in to work later today.