README FILE FOR PERL MODULE -- DBD::RAM WHY USE IT? This module lets you quickly create and test databases using SQL (Structured Query Language) and DBI (the Perl Database Interface). Beginners can learn some basics of SQL and DBI without needing to install or learn a database management system like mySQL or Oracle. Advanced users can prototype new databases; test queries on existing data; combine data from multiple DBI-accessible databases or various kinds of storage such as fixed-width records, comma-separated values files, .ini files, XML files, and other flat (ascii) files; pull in arrays and hashes from other scripts; and use it when in-memory processing is an advantage. WHAT ELSE DO I NEED? * An operating system that can run DBI (unix, linux, mac, windows, many others). * Perl and these modules: DBI, DBD::File, SQL::Statement. (DBD::File is part of the DBD::CSV distibution) Windows users: get Perl and the modules at www.activestate.com. Others: get perl at www.perl.com and the modules at www.cpan.org. HOW DO I INSTALL IT? 1. Install Perl and the modules DBI, DBD::CSV, and SQL::Statement (if you don't already have them). 2. Unpack the compressed files. (DBD-RAM-version.tar.gz or DBD-RAM-version.zip) 3a. If you are not familiar with the standard Perl makefile method, you can simply copy the file RAM.pm into your DBD directory. 3b. If you are familiar with the standard Perl make installation, just do as always (perl Makefile.PL; make; make test; make install) this should also work with dmake or nmake. HOW DO I USE IT? First you might like to try this simple script which creates a database and inserts the string "hello new world" into a record and then uses SQL to retrieve the record and print it: #!perl -w use strict; use DBI; my $dbh = DBI->connect('DBI:RAM:'); $dbh->do("CREATE TABLE table1 ( message TEXT )"); $dbh->do("INSERT INTO table1 VALUES ('Hello new world!')"); print $dbh->selectrow_array("SELECT message FROM table1"); WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFO? After installing the module, type "perldoc DBD::RAM" at the command prompt, or just read the documentation at the bottom of the RAM.pm file. For help on the use of DBD::RAM, see the DBI users mailing list: http://www.isc.org/dbi-lists.html For general information on DBI see http://www.symbolstone.org/technology/perl/DBI WHO DUNNIT? Jeff Zucker Feel free to email me comments and suggestions, but please post questions requiring a response to the dbi-users mailing list(see above).