MSDE - list databases, describe tables, migrate from Access?

I am new to SQL Server but have been using Access for a while. I just
installed MSDE (latest version) to evaluate it for use in small business
systems rather than Access peer-to-peer. Just a few quick questions:
1) I can connect to MSDE from an Access db by linking, but I think I am
doing this through ODBC (using the link table wizard in Access). Is this
the correct way?
2) In goofing around I used 'osql' to do a bunch of create table and insert
statements to create some test data but I didn't save these statements. Now
I can't see how to get the list of databases, tables, and columns that I
created. Is there anything like 'show databases', 'show tables', or
'describe <tablename>' that will output a description of what I've created?
3) Is there any simple way to take a database created in MS-Access and
convert it to SQL Server format? I.e. can I create my tables in Access's
nice user interface and then move them over to MSDE?
Thanks,
Doug MHi,
1. You are in the right tract if you are using MSAccess .
2. Go into SQL prompt using
OSQL -Usa -Ppassword -S serve_name (Enter Key)
-- To display list of databases
1>sp_databases (enter)
2>go (enter)
-- To list the tables in a database
1>use dbname (enter)
2>go (enter)
1>sp_tables (enter)
2>go (enter)
-- To see the table structure
1>use dbname (enter)
2>go (enter)
1>sp_help table_name (enter)
2>go (enter)
This list goes on and on... See books online for moredetails on the SQL
Server TSQL commands.
3. Use can use DTS , but DTS wont be coming with MSDE. Other approaches
are manual.
a. Create the table in MSDE manually
b. Generate the comm seperated text from MSACCESS for each table
c. Use BCP IN or BULK INSERT utility in sql server MSDE to load into
tables.
Thanks
Hari
MCDBA
"user" <user@.nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:40d50f01$0$18672$afc38c87@.news.optusnet.com.au...
> I am new to SQL Server but have been using Access for a while. I just
> installed MSDE (latest version) to evaluate it for use in small business
> systems rather than Access peer-to-peer. Just a few quick questions:
> 1) I can connect to MSDE from an Access db by linking, but I think I am
> doing this through ODBC (using the link table wizard in Access). Is this
> the correct way?
> 2) In goofing around I used 'osql' to do a bunch of create table and
insert
> statements to create some test data but I didn't save these statements.
Now
> I can't see how to get the list of databases, tables, and columns that I
> created. Is there anything like 'show databases', 'show tables', or
> 'describe <tablename>' that will output a description of what I've
created?
> 3) Is there any simple way to take a database created in MS-Access and
> convert it to SQL Server format? I.e. can I create my tables in Access's
> nice user interface and then move them over to MSDE?
> Thanks,
> Doug M
>|||That's great, thanks.
Doug M
"Hari Prasad" <hari_prasad_k@.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OxwcvkqVEHA.3596@.tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> 1. You are in the right tract if you are using MSAccess .
> 2. Go into SQL prompt using
> OSQL -Usa -Ppassword -S serve_name (Enter Key)
> -- To display list of databases
> 1>sp_databases (enter)
> 2>go (enter)
> -- To list the tables in a database
> 1>use dbname (enter)
> 2>go (enter)
> 1>sp_tables (enter)
> 2>go (enter)
> -- To see the table structure
> 1>use dbname (enter)
> 2>go (enter)
> 1>sp_help table_name (enter)
> 2>go (enter)
>
> This list goes on and on... See books online for moredetails on the SQL
> Server TSQL commands.
>
> 3. Use can use DTS , but DTS wont be coming with MSDE. Other approaches
> are manual.
> a. Create the table in MSDE manually
> b. Generate the comm seperated text from MSACCESS for each table
> c. Use BCP IN or BULK INSERT utility in sql server MSDE to load into
> tables.
> Thanks
> Hari
> MCDBA
>
> "user" <user@.nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:40d50f01$0$18672$afc38c87@.news.optusnet.com.au...
> > I am new to SQL Server but have been using Access for a while. I
just
> > installed MSDE (latest version) to evaluate it for use in small business
> > systems rather than Access peer-to-peer. Just a few quick questions:
> >
> > 1) I can connect to MSDE from an Access db by linking, but I think I am
> > doing this through ODBC (using the link table wizard in Access). Is
this
> > the correct way?
> >
> > 2) In goofing around I used 'osql' to do a bunch of create table and
> insert
> > statements to create some test data but I didn't save these statements.
> Now
> > I can't see how to get the list of databases, tables, and columns that I
> > created. Is there anything like 'show databases', 'show tables', or
> > 'describe <tablename>' that will output a description of what I've
> created?
> >
> > 3) Is there any simple way to take a database created in MS-Access and
> > convert it to SQL Server format? I.e. can I create my tables in
Access's
> > nice user interface and then move them over to MSDE?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Doug M
> >
> >
>|||Ben Forta's book "SQL in 10 Minutes" is a most valuable desk-side
reference and I've recently also come to learn the same can be said
of his most recent work "Regular Expressions in 10 Minutes."
Highly recommended and each costs less than a large pepperoni pizza ;-)
<%= Clinton Gallagher
A/E/C Consulting, Web Design, e-Commerce Software Development
Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin USA
NET csgallagher@. REMOVETHISTEXT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/
"user" <user@.nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:40d5fa03$0$18671$afc38c87@.news.optusnet.com.au...
> That's great, thanks.
> Doug M
> "Hari Prasad" <hari_prasad_k@.hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:OxwcvkqVEHA.3596@.tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> > Hi,
> >
> > 1. You are in the right tract if you are using MSAccess .
> >
> > 2. Go into SQL prompt using
> >
> > OSQL -Usa -Ppassword -S serve_name (Enter Key)
> >
> > -- To display list of databases
> >
> > 1>sp_databases (enter)
> > 2>go (enter)
> >
> > -- To list the tables in a database
> >
> > 1>use dbname (enter)
> > 2>go (enter)
> > 1>sp_tables (enter)
> > 2>go (enter)
> >
> > -- To see the table structure
> >
> > 1>use dbname (enter)
> > 2>go (enter)
> > 1>sp_help table_name (enter)
> > 2>go (enter)
> >
> >
> >
> > This list goes on and on... See books online for moredetails on the SQL
> > Server TSQL commands.
> >
> >
> >
> > 3. Use can use DTS , but DTS wont be coming with MSDE. Other approaches
> > are manual.
> >
> > a. Create the table in MSDE manually
> > b. Generate the comm seperated text from MSACCESS for each table
> > c. Use BCP IN or BULK INSERT utility in sql server MSDE to load into
> > tables.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Hari
> > MCDBA
> >
> >
> > "user" <user@.nowhere.com> wrote in message
> > news:40d50f01$0$18672$afc38c87@.news.optusnet.com.au...
> > > I am new to SQL Server but have been using Access for a while. I
> just
> > > installed MSDE (latest version) to evaluate it for use in small business
> > > systems rather than Access peer-to-peer. Just a few quick questions:
> > >
> > > 1) I can connect to MSDE from an Access db by linking, but I think I am
> > > doing this through ODBC (using the link table wizard in Access). Is
> this
> > > the correct way?
> > >
> > > 2) In goofing around I used 'osql' to do a bunch of create table and
> > insert
> > > statements to create some test data but I didn't save these statements.
> > Now
> > > I can't see how to get the list of databases, tables, and columns that I
> > > created. Is there anything like 'show databases', 'show tables', or
> > > 'describe <tablename>' that will output a description of what I've
> > created?
> > >
> > > 3) Is there any simple way to take a database created in MS-Access and
> > > convert it to SQL Server format? I.e. can I create my tables in
> Access's
> > > nice user interface and then move them over to MSDE?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Doug M
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>