FrontBase Documentation

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6. Original Documentation
Updated: 20-Nov-2000
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6.2. Getting Started with FrontBase

When you have installed FrontBase it will make life simpler if the accounts you are using for your FrontBase work have /Local/Library/FrontBase/bin and /Local/Applications in their path, though it is not a requirement.

/Local/Library/FrontBase is the "home" of FrontBase on Mac OS X Server. On most other platforms the home is /usr/FrontBase.

Creating and Starting a database

To create or start a database, first open a terminal window and then follow the following guidelines. The user input is written with bold typeface.

First make sure that the FBExec process is running:
localhost> ps axc | grep FBExec
If the command does not produce any output, FBExec is not running. Start it with the command:
localhost> /Local/Library/FrontBase/bin/FBExec &
Create or start your database with the command:
localhost> /Local/Library/FrontBase/bin/FrontBase MyDatabase &
The database is stored in one file which is placed in the file /Local/Library/FrontBase/Databases/MyDatabase.fb. If the file does not exist, it is created and the new database is bootstrapped.

Please note that the FBExec is not normally installed in such a way that it is automatically started when the computer is restarted.

sql92

A line oriented interactive tool to access the database is included with the release. You can invoke the tool as:
localhost> /Local/Library/FrontBase/bin/sql92
To connect to a database submit the following SQL 92 statement:
sql92> connect to <database-name> [on <host-name>] [user <user-name>];
If you omit the host name, the current host name is used, and if the user name is omitted the login name is used.

Always terminate SQL 92 commands with a ';'
The SQL 92 command is not sent to the server before the sql92 program meets a semicolon. As sql92 is line oriented, you must also terminate the line before the SQL 92 command is executed.

sql92 Documentation

Transactions

Transactions are started automatically by the server when needed. Most statements will need a transaction. The current transaction is ended by a commit or a rollback. By default SQL 92 is using serializable write access with pessimistic locking, which has as the consequence a that table only may be access by one transaction at a time.

The user may change the defaults according to the SQL 92 specification.

When you are working with sql92 you should always commit or rollback transactions in order not to block the access to the database.

The blocking has no consequence for EOF applications as they only use very short transactions.

If you have feedback or questions on this document, please send e-mail to doc-feedback@frontbase.com. Please reference the section number and topic. Thanks!!