Newbie to Multivalue DB/D3

[Leye Agiri]

Dear All, 

I just joined a new company as the DBA/System Analyst, though with experience in MSQL database. 

I'm a newbie to D3/MVDb platform and I have lots of issues understanding/migrating to this new technology. Coupled with the fact that there's no one to take me through. I have a couple of questions below and I'll appreciate your prompt responses to enable me integrate seamlessly: 

* What's the data format/type of the D3/MvDb? 
* Is there a way I can connect MSQL directly to the raw data? 
* Are there any Business Intelligence reports that I can design to fetch data? 
* Is there an Admin console/dashboard (similar to SQL Enterprise Manager) to view the tables/views in my DB?

I'm expecting your prompt feedback(s)

[David Hurst]

Hi

I have integrated D3 with SQL Server, Microsoft dynamics and MS Nav all looking at raw data.

Email me off list and we can talk about how I could help you

David

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[Kevin Powick]

On Thursday, 3 October 2013 04:12:25 UTC-4, Leye Agiri wrote:

First - Welcome.  Multivalue Databases (MVDB) are really quite nice to work with.

Second -  You're going to need help.  A lot of it in the beginning.  I think it would be well worth the time/money to consult with a D3 professional to get you up-to-speed as quickly as possible.  It will take some effort to adjust your thinking to how MVDB databases work compared to a RDBMS.  Personally, I have no services to offer, but there are some on this forum that are well-versed in D3 and offer such services.

* What's the data format/type of the D3/MvDb? 

All data in D3 is essentially of the type string.  It is effectively a typeless system.  Data resides as items (records) in files (tables). Each item is has attributes (fields).  Each field may be further delimited into multiple values and each value may be delimited into multiple subvalues.  This gives D3 "multidimensional" properties that can greatly reduce the number of files (tables) required for a given database.

There is a lot more to talk about here (accounts, dictionaries, etc), but I'll leave it at that.

 

* Is there a way I can connect MSQL directly to the raw data? 

Yes, there are several ways.  Both vendor add-ons and 3rd party products are available.  What exactly you wish to do, how you wish to do it, and your knowledge of D3 will determine the best solution.  For example, if you know how to program in D3's built-in "BASIC" language, you can push data from D3 into MSQL via TigerLogic's OpenDB product.  OpenDB will also allow you to pull MSQL data into D3. TigerLogic is the developer of D3.  There are also various APIs available for connectivity (COM, .Net, Java, etc) 

 

* Are there any Business Intelligence reports that I can design to fetch data? 

D3 has a fully functional data retrieval/reporting language called Access (not related to MS Access in any way).  This would be somewhat akin to SQL/T-SQL.   It is powerful, but on its own, limited to on screen (terminal) and printed output.  Again, there are both vendor-provided and 3rd party solutions to get data into BI reporting systems.

* Is there an Admin console/dashboard (similar to SQL Enterprise Manager) to view the tables/views in my DB?

No.  There are various easy to use TCL (terminal control language) commands for this.

I'm expecting your prompt feedback(s)

You get what you pay for.

--

Kevin Powick 

[Anthony Youngman]

On 03/10/13 09:12, Leye Agiri wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> I just joined a new company as the DBA/System Analyst, though with
> experience in MSQL database.

Welcome! I hope you'll find us a friendly bunch.

>
> I'm a newbie to D3/MVDb platform and I have lots of issues
> understanding/migrating to this new technology. Coupled with the fact
> that there's no one to take me through. I have a couple of questions
> below and I'll appreciate your prompt responses to enable me integrate
> seamlessly:

Firstly, D3 is a MultiValue database. This is NOT an FNF-relational
database, it's an NFNF (or NF2) database (which stands for
non-first-normal-form). So you might find a lot of your questions don't
make sense to us. That's fine, you need to change your mindset.

In particular, unlike with Relational, the data definition DEScribes the
data, it does NOT prescribe it (in other words, something can be a
number and a string and a boolean all at the same time - in practice,
everything is stored as strings in the database). So you can't assume
that what should be a number, actually is. It's up to the programmer to
enforce it (and MV systems very rarely have a DBA, they're just not
needed even with huge systems much larger than your typical database).

Okay, I'll help as much as I can here, but bear in mind I know the
UniVerse database, not D3, although they are very similar in philosophy.

>
> * What's the data format/type of the D3/MvDb?

Do you mean where/how does it store its data? Someone else will tell you
that - I think D3 does it as a big blob on disk.

> * Is there a way I can connect MSQL directly to the raw data?

Easy enough - you should be able to get an ODBC or OleDB connector -
just be aware that MSQL may choke on the data! It happens, and is rather
more common/likely than you would hope :-(

> * Are there any Business Intelligence reports that I can design to fetch
> data?

Learn the LIST command :-) You'll probably be able find other stuff.

> * Is there an Admin console/dashboard (similar to SQL Enterprise
> Manager) to view the tables/views in my DB?

Learn the LIST command :-)

>
> I'm expecting your prompt feedback(s)
>

The best way to learn the system is to dive in the deep end :-) Get to
TCL (the colon prompt, a terminal command line). Then start LISTing
everything in sight :-)

Firstly, remember EVERYTHING in MV is self-describing. Secondly, at the
data level, there is only ONE filetype, or table layout as you would
understand it. So the LIST command is all you need :-) (I think the same
is true under the covers of relational, but in MV it's explicit).

In D3 I think the master control file is called MD (in UV it's VOC). Try
"LIST MD" and it should give you a list of all the files, commands,
everything.

Going back one level, every FILE (including MD) has a DATA portion
containing the data, and a DICT portion containing the description of
that data. Universe has a file called DICT.DICT, which is a
self-defining file that describes the dictionary (in other words, the
DATA section *is* the DICT section too).

And provided you stick to the LIST command, you can't do any damage.
Unlike SELECT in SQL, it doesn't have an update mode so it's read-only.
Updating stuff is easy, but requires a different command (ED) or a program.

The other thing to do is go to pickwiki (www.pickwiki.com) and have a
browse around. There's a fair bit of interesting stuff there to give you
background.

Here's hoping you join us as a committed member of the community!

Cheers,
Wol

[CDMI - Steve T]

this is well documented, easy to understand, very professionally done:

http://www.rushflat.co.nz/downloads.php

 

this is a great beginners tool

it is based on openQM, but will also apply to D3

there are things in QM (a lot of them) that will not apply

however, file structure, etc will help you understand

you can also download the personal edition of QM on your computer to develop with.

 

i have a huge client running D3/Linux and i develop on QM and export out to D3.

this lets me control my environment before uploading live code.

welcome, and good luck to you!

 

Steve Trimble

Computerized Data Mgmt Inc
 

[Ross Ferris]

Not strictly true .... if you are running on D3/Windows then there is a graphical admin tool.

 

Maybe some useful reading at http://www.tigerlogic.com/tigerlogic/pick/support/documentation/d3server.jsp

[Kevin Powick]

On Monday, 7 October 2013 07:17:41 UTC-4, Ross Ferris wrote:

Not strictly true .... if you are running on D3/Windows then there is a graphical admin tool.

You're right.  I stand corrected, but does anybody really use that to mange their system? It's quite limited.

--

Kevin Powick

[Ross Ferris]

Possibly not ..... BUT, with D3 9.0 and above the Administration Console can also be used ... another product that may get little use, BUT I believe source code is included, so could be extended with whatever functionality you like, though I suspect that as no-one just goes & buys D3 as a database, the required functionality would typically be found in the application running over D3 (OR be provided as a service offering)