> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>
> Best bet is to create your new SQL schema in a flat file and then:
>
> RUN DBSCHEMA.PUB.SYS < your_flat_file_name
>
You're missing the point (sort of) -- let me see if I can better explain...

I've grown up in the HP3000 "world" of databases whereby one ALWAYS uses an
editor to make a standalone IMAGE schema file and process via

   :FILE DBSTEXT=myschema
   :RUN DBSCHEMA.PUB.SYS;PARM=1  [or possibly 3 with DBSLIST redirected]

However the Microsoft "access" / unix "sql" way of doing things seems to be
"generate a database on the fly by running an interactive tool [access/isql]
and building/refining as you go..."

I am aware that (under unix/linux), you can build a "script" that contains
the commands you would type interactively and use

   $ isql < schema_creating_command_file

however there is a down side to this: if "half way" through the commands you
make a mistake [mistype a field name, use an incorrect "type" for a field,
or make an outright "syntax" error], isql will have "processed" half of your
file leaving a half-baked database on the system (i.e., recovery can be
messy) -- OTOH, DBSCHEMA won't process a file unless it is completely
correct from the outset...

[aside: the thought occurs, howevr, one could use "begin transaction"/"end
transaction" commands surrounding the creation of the tables, but that still
seems to be a kludge]

What I'd like to do is continue to make "completely correct" IMAGE schemas,
then process them through "this program" to create an input file for isql
that will create a "functionally" similar database using any "sql" type
database [admittedly, it won't be as robust as an image database, but we
gots to work with what we can get nowadays... :( ]

Does that make more sense?

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