Cold Fusion & Microsoft Access with Unicode

MSAccess locally, MySQL on Server

[fidibidabah]

I'm running Cold Fusion 7 locally as a test site. Everything seems to be working out, with a few problems.

1.) My host is set up to work with MySQL (as are most), however my "localhost" is not, as installing MySQL locally is a bit over my head, and

2.) The data I'm successfully working with locally is in a Microsoft Access with Unicode format.

My question would be, can I utilize this database on most servers, as long as it's a "Cold Fusion Source", or do I need some sort of special software on the server to support it? I know Cold Fusion has "drivers" for it built in to the server, but is this all I need?

I also have the databse in a Pipe-Delimited format, as well as SQL (so I could work it with SQL, but I have NO WAY of testing it locally and working on it, and honestly, wouldn't know where to start, although I'd imagine the coding would be identical) :/

If the coding is indeed identical for working with both types of databases, then I guess I could have an MSAccess one locally and a MySQL formatted one on the server, are there disadvantages to this? (besides updating it). Any other solutions I should be seeking out? Thanks.

[txbakers]

The coding is NOT identical between Access and mySQL. So many things are different in Access.

You can install mySQL on your localhost, it's easy to do, and is MUCH better for you in the long, short, and marathon runs.

[fidibidabah]

are you refering to the Cold Fusion coding? That's what I was refering to. I understand the databases are much different.

As far as I can tell, Cold Fusion Server loads the database as a "source", and then you can interact with it using SQL. Are there different versions of SQL or something? Is the syntax different?

I'm not so bright, so I'll need a slightly more complex explination :/ Thank you for your suggestion tho! I'll definately look into it.

[txbakers]

cold fusion coding should be identical.

only the SQL syntax will be different.

[fidibidabah]

I see, could you possibly give me an example? I was under the impression that SQL is SQL, the standard for most ways to manipulate most databases.

If SQL is one language, and all these different dynamic languages (asp/jsp/php/.net/c#/coldfusion) utilize it, wouldn't they all have the same SQL syntax?

Seriously, this may just be going over my head, I am very ignorant... but language specific syntax aside (asuming that local and server are using same server-side language(CF in this case)), shouldn't the SQL syntax be the same? I'm still SELECTing the same entrys FROM the same tables, using the same WHERE command, running the same queries, etc.

An example would really help :) thanks.

Oh, and is it posible to run MSAccess unicode db's on a webserver with no additional software? thanks :)

[txbakers]

Access: SELECT field1,field2 FROM table WHERE field1 like 'bob*' and regdate = #12/25/2004#

Other SQL: SELECT field1,field2 FROM table WHERE field1 like 'bob%' and regdate = '2004-12-25'

Also, access handles outer joins much differently than regular SQL.

Access uses the # to delimit dates and the * for the wildcard. Most everyone else uses the traditional date format and the % to delimit a wildcard.

I had to convert a mySQL app to Access and it was a nightmare.

[fidibidabah]

Ah, I understand, thank you for all your help.

Glad I took your advice and got out of this Access SQL business fairly quick.

Lemme tell you, installing Apache2/PHP5/MySQL/phpMyAdmin/CFMX7 was certainly an experience, but I finally have it all working! Only about 2 sleepless nights later :) Now to play with this datafeed (this is fun as hell) :D :D