Newbie (MAC user) question: What is an SQL database... Or how to

Well this is not really the question... What I actually mean is: Is a SQL
database a file or an ensemble of files which can be developed on a PC, then
if the PC hasn't got a connection to the remote server, be transferred onto
a disk and copied into an SQL DBMS.
My problem is the following. I have decided to start developing web sites
which use ASP.NET and SQL on a Macintosh system. Not the best choice I
know...
My ISP has set up an SQL database which I need to populate with table,
columns and of course data. To do so I have found ASP Enterprise Manager
from the internet (http://www.aspenterprisemanager.com/) which allowed me to
create a table and a few other things, but because of the lack of manual I
am at a lost as to what else it can do and whether there is a better tool to
develop SQL on a Mac. Any suggestion about this would be very welcome.
By the way I have been able to connect to the db with Macromedia Dreamweaver
and I have created a form that loads data in the field. It's great to see it
working...
But to get back to my primary question... If I were to develop the SQL
database on a PC which as I said earlier doesn't have a connection to the
internet (it's an old one, you see), does it create a file, or a set of
files (the database, like an Access database would be a file) which can then
be transported to my Mac via a disk and sent to my ISP to upload in the SQL
DBMS to replace the one I have created with ASP Enterprise Manager.
Hope you make sense of these questions, and that you will come back with a
suggestion or two. Please no suggestion such as dump my Mac and buy a PC...
I love my Mac. I know it makes my life difficult at the moment, but which
relationship doesn't have it's difficult moments?
Merci beaucoup
William"William Lesourd" <william@.francodesign.com> wrote in message
news:BBC5CBC9.5166%william@.francodesign.com...
<snip>
> But to get back to my primary question... If I were to develop the SQL
> database on a PC which as I said earlier doesn't have a connection to the
> internet (it's an old one, you see), does it create a file, or a set of
> files (the database, like an Access database would be a file) which can
then
> be transported to my Mac via a disk and sent to my ISP to upload in the
SQL
> DBMS to replace the one I have created with ASP Enterprise Manager.
William,
Sql does indeed store it's databases in data files (default extension either
.mdf or .ndf) and a log file (.ldf). You would need to get the mdf file to
your ISP, but it is not simply a matter of them copying the file. They need
to attach the file to the database in order to tell SQL server about it.
Probably a better idea is to send them a back-up. In the SQL Server Master
database run the command:
BACKUP DATABASE mybase to file = 'c:\mybackup.bak', then your ISP can
restore it over your old database. (Or maybe your ASP manager can back it
up for you)
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.532 / Virus Database: 326 - Release Date: 27/10/2003|||You could do your development on a different SQL Server than
the one which will eventually host the database (using the
same versions). After you have everything set, you can
either do a backup and then restore to the other SQL Server
or you can use sp_detach_db, copy the database files to the
other location and then reattach them with sp_attach_db.
As a side note and nothing to do with Macs - You can
download SQL Server books online...it might make things
easier for you:
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinfo/productdoc/2000/books.asp
-Sue
On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 19:55:53 +0000, William Lesourd
<william@.francodesign.com> wrote:
>But to get back to my primary question... If I were to develop the SQL
>database on a PC which as I said earlier doesn't have a connection to the
>internet (it's an old one, you see), does it create a file, or a set of
>files (the database, like an Access database would be a file) which can then
>be transported to my Mac via a disk and sent to my ISP to upload in the SQL
>DBMS to replace the one I have created with ASP Enterprise Manager.