Crash Course

Get started working with SQL Offline. Create an offline document from a table, modify a value, and update the table.

Follow the steps in this tutorial to create these files: customers.olz.

1. Create or download a sample data file:

   

   Run Access and click File ► New ► Sample templates ► Northwind ► Create. Exit Access.

   You can also download a sample MDB data file here: nwind.zip.

2. Open the sample data file:

   Run SQL Offline. In the Data tab, click File ► Access.

   

   Specify the file type. In the file type list click either Access (*.accdb) or Access (*.mdb).

   

   Locate Northwind.accdb or Nwind.mdb and click Open. The Source window opens and displays table names in the data file.

3. Read a table to create an Offline document:

   In the Source window, click the Customers table. In the Data tab, click Table ► Open.

   

   Your new Offline document is created that contains data from the table. Some characters are UTF8 encoded.

   

   Click File ► Save to create your OL file Customers.ol.

   

4. Close the data file in the Source window:

   In the Data tab, click Source ► Close All.

   

   All connections to the data files (or servers) are closed.

5. Modify a value and Write SQL:

   In the Offline document, modify the company name in row 1. For example, change Company A to Interscape.

   

   Click another cell or press Esc to stop editing a cell.

   

   Click Write > SQL. A new Offline SQL Script document displays.

   

   Press F5 to Run the SQL script. The Table in the data file is now updated. Click to Close the SQL script file.

6. Restore (Undo) the cell value and Write:

   In the Edit tab, click Undo to restore the original company name. If Undo is not available, you can close and re-open the OL file.

   

   In the Data tab, click Write ► Write.

   

   In the Confirm Write dialog box, click Yes.

   

   The table in the data file is now restored. Click Write ► Preview to confirm that the Offline document matches the data file. Click OK.

7. Browse the data link:

   In the Data tab, click Browse. In the Source window click the data file name (for example: Northwind.accdb).

   

   In the Data tab, click Source ► String. The connection string for the data file displays.

   

   In the Connection String dialog box, click Cancel. In the Data tab, click Source ► Close All.

   

   In the Data tab, click Modify. The Offline document link displays.

   

   Note the connection strings in the Offline document and the Source window match. Click Cancel.

8. OPTIONAL ADVANCED - Create a new table:

   In the Data tab, click Modify. In the Data Link dialog box, change the table name from Customers to Customers_new.

   

   In the Index Name list, click Attachments. Click Delete Index. Click Save.

   In the Data tab, click Write ► Write.

This completes the Crash Course Tutorial.

Please feel free to experiment and remember as you do: all modifications to your Offline document affect only the offline document (even if you add a column). When (and if) you wish to update the data file, you can synchronize using the Write button in the Data tab.

SQL Offline © 2014 Interscape Corporation