CodeCharge Studio

Connecting to Databases

The ability to easily put database content on the web is one of the main features that makes CodeCharge Studio stand out from other web development tools. There is a wide range of applicable options each with its own pro's and con's. It would be inconceivable to accommodate all or the vast majority of the different options if each were unique. Thankfully, this is not the case since the Structured Query Language (SQL) provides a uniform way of interacting with databases and their content. In general, four main components make up the database experience:

Having selected the database to use and ensured that all the necessary components are in place, the next step is to make the connection within CodeCharge Studio. Note that you are not limited to a single database, but can use multiple databases within the same project.

Database Connections

Within CodeCharge Studio, a connection is a link to a database for the purpose of creating pages based on the structure and contents of the database. The majority of the forms and field controls used within CodeCharge Studio draw their content from database fields. CodeCharge Studio uses database connections for two major purposes:

The design connection is the connection that CodeCharge Studio uses to communicate with the database. For example, the Application Builder in CodeCharge Studio connects to the database and then automatically creates a set of Web pages that are based on your database tables and fields. The most common design-time techniques of connecting to a database include ODBC/DSN and JET.

The server-side connection is used by the generated pages to communicate with the database. Often times, the design connection is the same as the server-side connection. However, various situations warrant the use of a server-side connection that is different from the design connection. This is usually the case when remote database access is undesired or not allowed. For example, if you use PHP and MySQL, you may want your generated programs to use the PHPLib database connectivity library to connect directly to MySQL without the use of drivers.

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