Meetings

Using DBI and DBD:: to Access Databases

Steven Lembark
Knightsbridge Solutions

Tuesday April 10th at 7:00pm
College of DuPage Bldg M Rm 165a

Abstract

Perl can be handy for mangling and querying databases [kind of like "extracting" and "reporting"].

In the distant past the only way of accessing a database through the vendor's API was compiling perl with extra libraries. This led to "oraaperl", "sybperl", etc, and also much pain.

DBI ended this situation -- Tim Bunce didn't "scratch an itch", he ended a massive migrane.

The DBI module gave perl two Very Nice Things: DBI itself and the guts of our XS interface and dynamic loading of compiled modules.

DBI lives on top of perly API modules in the DBD:: group (e.g., DBD::Oracle, DBD::Sybase). Now you can connect to multiple platforms at once, query all of them using a standard interface and get the results back in native perl.

I'll go over the basics of using DBI and DBD::Oracle, an object I use on some web projects for caching statement handles and some code we use for quickly generating databases using externally maintained files.

Speaker Bio

Steven Lembark began working with Perl in 1991 at EDS, practically extracting data from various places and reporting on it to his boss. Since then he has used it for parallel process control, cron replacements and beating Oracle 8.0.5 into submission. Steven currently works for Knightsbridge Solutions, a consulting company dealing with scalable computing and "big data". Most of his current Perl work has been for process and system management, with a dose of mod_perl thrown in for good luck.

Getting to the meeting

The next PerlSIG meeting of UniForum Chicago will be from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Tuesday, April 10th, 2001, at the College of DuPage, building M - room 165a.

        College of DuPage
        Building M, Rm 165a
        22nd and Lambert
        Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-6599

Take 355 to Butterfield Rd (Rt 56).
Take Butterfield West to Lambert Rd, then Lambert Rd North to College Rd.
Turn left and look for Lots 11 or 12 on the right side of College Rd.
Walk north to Building M, room 165a is near the south-east corner.

All UniForum Chicago PerlSIG meetings are open to the public free of charge.

Contact Deborah Vose at (630) 829-7033 or vosede@lidp.com for additional information about the meeting.

For more information about UniForum Chicago contact nemec@xnet.com.