[Tutor] Beginners Help

[hcohen2]

abeidson at sbcglobal.net wrote:

> I am not only new to Python.. but essentially new to programming in 
> general.. (the last program I wrote was in Basic 15 years ago for High 
> school). My job is starting to require me to do some type of 
> programming to interact with databases (DB4, DB2, SQL, and Oracle). 
> From everything I have read Python seems the best to start with.. but 
> with all the books out there I was just looking for some insite.
>  
> Thanks
> Andy
>
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Andy,

I know this is a python forum, but what exactly do you mean by you now 
have the necessity of learning some programming?

If this means you have to construct some views of data, e.g. reports 
there are potentially simpler approaches.  It may be a misnomer, but so 
called end user reporting tools may be what you need.  These do require 
some degree of sophistication in knowing your data structures and what 
your individual elements of your results are comprised of and how they 
are really determined (e.g. calculated/defined).

Learning python for an overall view may do no harm, but from the data 
base products named you should be learning the SQL syntax employed by 
each in their respective 'procedural' SQL tools.  Regarding what you 
call SQL (do you mean SQL Server)  Microsoft or ASE (Adaptive SQL 
Enterprise) Sybase?  They at least share the same base SQL scripting 
language though they have now diverged where each has more sophisticated 
ways of constructing queries: Transact-SQL.  Oracle has PL/SQL used in 
stored procedures and user querying and SQL for interface applications 
and I think reporting.  Sorry no study nor experience with DB2.

Python does have an API to interface with databases, but from a response 
I got to my questioning about that interface it may not be optimal.  It 
just might be that you should start with command line quries to learn 
how much you need to learn.

If you are working with one of the Sybase servers, write to me directly 
and I will give you whatever help I can.  One other thing you should be 
aware of: both Sybase and Oracle will essentially give you a copy to use 
for learning, not licensed for production use.  And I have heard that MS 
SQLServer can be had on essentially the same terms.

Hope I have not confused the issue, but have given you a broader 
perspective.  Learning python will do you no harm.  I am using my time 
to finally come up to speed on this scripting language.

Herschel

PS Regarding the free software the International Sybase Users Group 
gives a NT copy of the most recent Sybase server (at least they have for 
the past two years).  There is an on-line Oracle developers forum that 
offers copies of the most recent versions of their server.