Executing SQL

The SQL Interpreter

The SQL Development (WINDBI) program (System Management → Generators → Procedures) provides access to the SQL Interpreter, which is used to execute SQL statements (from the Execute menu, select SQL interpreter). Use of the Interpreter requires permission, which is assigned to users in the Authorized for SQL column of the Personnel File (in the Human Resources menu).

In principle, any statement can be written as input to the interpreter. However, in order to avoid violations of referential integrity, it is highly advisable to refrain from using the interpreter for updates and deletions of the database. As Priority provides for full automatic protection of referential integrity in its forms, such manipulations should be executed via forms or form interface programs (see Forms and Interfaces).

Additionally, anyone executing INSERT, UPDATE or DELETE statements must belong to the privilege group of the superuser (tabula).

Additional options for using the SQL Interpreter are:

• + optimizer — displays the steps of data retrieval.
• + execution — displays the steps of data retrieval and indicates the number of records retrieved in each step.

Note: By default, the SQL Development program does not output data in unicode. If you need to view data that contains special characters (e.g. text from languages such as Spanish or German), remember to append the UNICODE option to your query.

Further Reading

• SQL Functions and Variables
• Flow Control
• Additions and Revisions to Standard SQL Commands
• Execution Statements
• LINK and UNLINK
• Return Values and Statement Failure
• Non-standard Scalar Expressions
• Viewing Table Structure