ODBCTEST v2.1 - ODBC test application

ODBCTEST is a small test application that enables you to connect to an ODBC source and execute SQL statements against it. It is there for those of you that do not already have some other (and better) application able to talk to ODBC drivers. Its main strong point is its ability to return the raw ODBC error messages directly to you without any filtering. This can be a very handy feature. You may also find it a nice utility if you often issue long streams of SQL against different ODBC compatible databases.

ODBCTEST is written by Jorgen Grosbol, ISS Data, Denmark, in 1996.

ODBCTEST is freeware.

Disclaimer: If you use this software, you and you alone carry the responsibility for errors and/or problems resulting from its use.

16- and 32-bit versions

There exists a 16 bit and a 32-bit version of the ODBCTEST program, named

ODBCT16.EXE (16 bit version)
ODBCT32.EXE (32 bit version)

The two versions are identical except that the 16-bit version uses 16-bit libraries and the 32-bit version uses 32-bit libraries. If you execute the program under Windows 95 or Windows NT, you can use either program. If you use the program under Windows 3.x, you have to use the 16-bit version of the program.

Note that the 16-bit version talks to 16 bit ODBC drivers while the 32-bit version talks to 32-bit ODBC drivers.

Using ODBCTEST

You activate ODBCTEST by simply double clicking its icon. The interface is MDI (multi document interface), so you can access and test several ODBC sources at the same time, one in each window.

Before you can execute SQL statements against an ODBC source, you must connect to it. Use the SQL/Open ODBC connection menu item to perform the connect.

Once the connection is established you use the SQL/Execute SQL commands menu item to enter and submit SQL commands against the data source. You can load and save the SQL statements in files via the buttons placed directly under the SQL source filename field.

You can submit more than one SQL statement if you delimit them by semicolons. If semicolons are used they should be either the last nonblank character on the line or occupy an otherwise blank line by themselves. In addition, you may place SQL comment characters (double dash, --) in front of lines to have ODBCTEST ignore them. Tab characters are translated to blanks before the SQL statement is submitted to the host.

If you execute several SQL statements and an error occurs you are shown the error message and you are asked if you want to cancel the command stream now or if you want to continue processing commands.

Note that due to Windows peculiarities you have to use Ctrl+Enter to place newline characters in the SQL source window.

Using the Table Lookup

This function is new to version 2 of ODBCTEST. It allows you to browse through the list of available tables in your server and to create several types of SQL statements towards them. The SQL dialect may not match the requirements of your driver completely, but even so, this feature can substantially reduce the work needed to create new SQL statements from scratch - and it is very easy to use.

Choosing ODBC drivers

The ODBC interface exists in several versions and each version implements several levels (core level, level 1 and level 2). This alone ensures that you cannot be sure that your ODBC driver will work with the ODBCTEST program, but to complicate matters further not all drivers are written exactly to specifications, and some drivers contain bugs.

The ODBCTEST program is written to the ODBC version 2 function level 2, but it does not by far use all functions in the interface, so drivers implementing a lower level may still work. Sometimes this may result in irrelevant error messages.

To summarize: you should always test to see if a driver actually works with the software mix you are going to use. Do not take the driver supplier's word for it.

We have tested ODBCTEST against several ODBC drivers, and our general impression is that the drivers from the major suppliers work just fine. When it comes to drivers for less popular systems, you just have to try them out.

Talking to the author

You can reach me at my E-mail address: jorgengros@cybernet.dk, put please remember that this is a freeware program given to you as-is. While I would love to hear from you, I may find it difficult to take time out to answer all mail, so don't be disappointed if you don't get an answer.