Hi.

I am getting started using SQL. My primary objective is to be able to
write ANSI SQL statements at a high level, outside of a certain
platform. I am using the book SQL A Beginner's Guide by Forrest
Houlette.

To get started, I downloaded the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop
Engine (MSDE 2000), unpacked it into Program Files/MSDERelA (i think
that's the name of the folder) and then ran Setup with the SAPWD switch.
This is a Windows 98 machine.

I'm not sure where to go now. I basically have 2 questions.

1) What general steps can I take from this point to actually start
learning SQL? I want to learn commands to create databases, populate
them, and use SQL statements to extract and manipulate data. I only
have this one Windows 98 machine, can I run a server and client on the
same machine?

2) As far as I am in the book, they are using the ODBC control panel to
build a System DSN. I chose SQL Server as the driver for which I wanted
to set up a data source. Then I get a dialog, Create a New Data
Source to SQL Server. I named the data source, and it also asks "Which
SQL Server do you want to connect to?" Is this supposed to be the name
of my computer? NetBIOS name? The only name I know for my computer
is "Bowen's Computer" (formerly "My Computer"). Or is this the name of
some instance of the running server program?

Any help would be so appreciated. God bless. -- Bowen.

> 1) What general steps can I take from this point to actually start
> learning SQL?

That depedns on what you want to do, administering or programming, both of
them require the skill of TSQL and administrative task, the one more the
other less. Try first leaning the DML, then DDL then DCL language this will
guide you to shapren your skills.

I only
> have this one Windows 98 machine, can I run a server and client on the
> same machine?

Yes, but you are not allowed to use Windows Authen (or Mixed Mode with it)

Or is this the name of
> some instance of the running server program?

Normally its the Netbios name if you installed an default instance, for
named instances it would be NetbiosName\InstanceName

Your welcome ;-)

HTH, Jens Suessmeyer.

---
http://www.sqlserver2005.de
---


"Bowen T" <chromatic_dragon@operamail.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:1114796049.bb1e30bd3621792bb99ce6219dc3a235@t eranews...
> Hi.
>
> I am getting started using SQL. My primary objective is to be able to
> write ANSI SQL statements at a high level, outside of a certain
> platform. I am using the book SQL A Beginner's Guide by Forrest
> Houlette.
>
> To get started, I downloaded the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop
> Engine (MSDE 2000), unpacked it into Program Files/MSDERelA (i think
> that's the name of the folder) and then ran Setup with the SAPWD switch.
> This is a Windows 98 machine.
>
> I'm not sure where to go now. I basically have 2 questions.
>
> 1) What general steps can I take from this point to actually start
> learning SQL? I want to learn commands to create databases, populate
> them, and use SQL statements to extract and manipulate data. I only
> have this one Windows 98 machine, can I run a server and client on the
> same machine?
>
> 2) As far as I am in the book, they are using the ODBC control panel to
> build a System DSN. I chose SQL Server as the driver for which I wanted
> to set up a data source. Then I get a dialog, Create a New Data
> Source to SQL Server. I named the data source, and it also asks "Which
> SQL Server do you want to connect to?" Is this supposed to be the name
> of my computer? NetBIOS name? The only name I know for my computer
> is "Bowen's Computer" (formerly "My Computer"). Or is this the name of
> some instance of the running server program?
>
> Any help would be so appreciated. God bless. -- Bowen.