mono/mcs/tools/SqlSharp

SQL# CLI - SQL Sharp Command Line Interface
===========================================

Running SQL# CLI on Mono:
mono sqlsharp.exe

Use this tool to test connection strings and enter SQL queries
to different ADO.NET providers in Mono.

Basically, there are five commands a user should know:
\provider, \connectionstring, \open, \quit, and \help

To connect to a database, you need to do the following:
1. set your data provider via \provider
Example:
SQL# \provider mysql

2. set your connection string via \connectionstring
Example:
SQL# \connectionstring Server=localhost;Database=test;User ID=someuser;Password=somepass

3. open a connection to the database via \open
Example:
SQL# \open

Here are the SQL# Commands taken from the help command: \h
SQL# Commands are case insensitive, so \Q and \q work the same.

CONNECTION AND PROVIDER COMMANDS
================================

\ConnectionString to set the ConnectionString

Example connection strings for various providers:

Microsoft SQL Server via System.Data.SqlClient or Mono.Data.TdsClient provider:
SQL# \ConnectionString Server=DANPC;Database=pubs;User ID=danmorg;Password=freetds

PostgreSQL via Mono.Data.PostgreSqlClient provider:
SQL# \ConnectionString host=localhost;dbname=test;user=postgres;pass=fun2db
or
SQL# \ConnectionString Server=localhost;Database=test;User ID=postgres;Password=fun2db

MySQL via Mono.Data.MySql provider:
SQL# \ConnectionString Server=localhost;Database=test;User ID=mysql;Password=

ODBC via System.Data.Odbc provider using a DSN named "MSSQLDSN" I set up
in the Windows control panel's ODBC Data Sources which connects
to Microsoft SQL Server 2000:
SQL# \ConnectionString DSN=MSSQLDSN;UID=danmorg;PWD=freetds

SQL Lite via Mono.Data.SqliteClient provider which connects to the
database file SqliteTest.db; if not found, the file is created:
SQL# \ConnectionString URI=file:SqliteTest.db

OLE DB via System.Data.OleDb provider which connects to a PostgreSQL database:
SQL# \ConnectionString Provider=PostgreSQL;Addr=127.0.0.1;Database=rodrigo

\Provider to set the Provider:

Provider Name Namespace Assembly
=========== ============= ========================== ==========================
OleDb OLE DB System.Data.OleDb System.Data
SqlClient MS SQL 7/2000 System.Data.SqlClient System.Data
Odbc ODBC System.Data.Odbc System.Data
MySql MySQL Mono.Data.MySql Mono.Data.MySql
PostgreSql PostgreSQL Mono.Data.PostgreSqlClient Mono.Data.PostgreSqlClient
Sqlite SQL Lite Mono.Data.SqliteClient Mono.Data.SqliteClient
Sybase Sybase Mono.Data.SybaseClient Mono.Data.SybaseClient
Tds TDS Generic Mono.Data.TdsClient Mono.Data.TdsClient

Example: to set the provider for MySQL:
SQL# \provider mysql

Note: if you need to load an external provider in SQL#,
see the SQL# command \loadextprovider

\loadextprovider ASSEMBLY CLASS to load an external provider
use the complete name of its assembly and
its Connection class.

Example: to load the MySQL provider Mono.Data.MySql
SQL# \loadextprovider Mono.Data.MySql Mono.Data.MySql.MySqlConnection

\Open to open the connection

Example:
SQL# \open

\Close to close the connection

Example:
SQL# \close

\defaults to show default variables, such as, Provider and ConnectionString.

Example:
SQL# \defaults

\Q to quit
Example:
SQL# \q

SQL EXECUTION COMMANDS
======================

\e to execute SQL query (SELECT)

Example: to execute a query

SQL# SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE
SQL# \e

Note: to get \e to automatically work after entering a query, put a
semicolon ; at the end of the query.

Example: to enter and exectue query at the same time

SQL# SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE;

\exenonquery to execute an SQL non query (not a SELECT)

Example: to insert a row into a table:

SQL# INSERT INTO SOMETABLE (COL1, COL2) VALUES('ABC','DEF')
SQL# \exenonquery

Note: this can be used for those providers that are new and do not have
the ability to execute queries yet.

\exescalar to execute SQL to get a single row and single column.

Example: to execute a Maxium aggregate
SQL# SELECT MAX(grade) FROM class
SQL# \exescalar

\exexml FILENAME to execute SQL and save output to XML file

Example:
SQL# SELECT fname, lname, hire_date FROM employee
SQL# \exexml employee.xml

Note: this depends on DataAdapter, DataTable, and DataSet
to be working properly

FILE COMMANDS
=============

\f FILENAME to read a batch of SQL# commands from file

Example:
SQL# \f batch.sql#

Note: the SQL# commands are interpreted as they are read. If there is
any SQL statements, the are executed.

\o FILENAME to write result of commands executed to file.

Example:
SQL# \o result.txt

\load FILENAME to load from file SQL commands into SQL buffer.

Example:
SQL# \load commands.sql

\save FILENAME to save SQL commands from SQL buffer to file.

Example:
SQL# \save commands.sql

GENERAL PURPOSE COMMANDS
========================

\h to show help (all commands).

Example:
SQL# \h

\s {TRUE, FALSE} to silent messages.

Example 1:
SQL# \s true

Example 2:
SQL# \s false

\r to reset or clear the query buffer.

Example:
SQL# \r

\print - show what's in the SQL buffer now.

Example:
SQL# \print

VARIABLES WHICH CAN BE USED AS PARAMETERS
=========================================

\set NAME VALUE to set an internal variable.

Example:
SQL# \set sFirstName John

\unset NAME to remove an internal variable.

Example:
SQL# \unset sFirstName

\variable NAME to display the value of an internal variable.

Example:
SQL# \variable sFirstName

PROVIDER SUPPORT OPTIONS
========================

\UseParameters (TRUE,FALSE) to use parameters when executing SQL which
use the variables that were set.

If this option is true, the SQL
contains parameters, and for each parameter
which does not have a SQL# variable set, the
user will be prompted to enter the value
for that parameter.

Example:
SQL# \useparameter true

Default: false

\UseSimpleReader (TRUE,FALSE) to use simple reader when displaying results.

Example:
SQL# \usesimplereader true

Default: false. Mostly, this is dependent on the provider. If the provider
does not have enough of IDataReader implemented to have
the normal reader working, then the simple reader can be used.
Providers like SqlClient, MySQL, and PostgreSQL have this
option defaulting to true.