Thread: RE: [INTERFACES] pgAdmin v6.5.1 Release

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lamar Owen [mailto:lamar.owen@wgcr.org]
> Sent: 25 August 1999 16:50
> To: Dave Page
> Cc: 'pgsql-interfaces@postgresql.org'
> Subject: Re: [INTERFACES] pgAdmin v6.5.1 Release
> 
> 
> Dave Page wrote:
> > 
> > I have just released pgAdmin v6.5.1 at:
> > 
> > http://www.pgadmin.freeserve.co.uk/
> > 
> > pgAdmin is a PostgreSQL administration/management tool for 
> Windows 95/98/NT.
> 
> Boy, is it ever!
> 
> I just finished installing this beast, and, after a couple of caveats,
> have things running smoothly -- this is a great program, IMHO.

Thanks!
> 1.)    You must have DCOM95 or DCOM98 installed, depending 
> upon whether you
> are using Win95 or Win98;

I must remeber to add that one to the website. I keep forgetting about it
because it's part of my Visual Studio installation.

> 2.)    You must install the MDAC 2.0 Redistributable Typical Install;

As stated on the site...

> 3.)    You must have the latest PostODBC installed;

You shouldn't necessarily need the latest, although it is advisable. We
currently use and test with 6.40.0007.

> 4.)    This setup program updates some system files -- you 
> will have to run
> setup once, then reboot, then run setup AGAIN (this is a 
> Win95 problem,
> not a pgAdmin problem, IMO);

It's not. Because we keep our development systems patched to the highest
level - currently Windows 98SE/Visual Studio 6 SP2, we often have newer
versions of some of the system files that are needed by Windows and the main
installation routine. This means that these files must be copied to
temporary names and then renamed on reboot to the correct name (remember the
'Please wait while Windows updates your systemsettings' message?). The
installer can then run correctly...

> 5.)    You must set the PostODBC options properly -- go into 
> 32-bit ODBC
> setup from Control Panel, select the appropriate datasource, 
> select the
> Datasource button, uncheck Read-Only, Check both boxes under OID. 
> Otherwise, you will get lots of errors.

This is the most common problem I (used to) get mailed about. pgAdmin now
does check your settings when the datasource is opened and will complain
about most problems.

> This is a great program -- particularly if you don't have 
> Access.  And,
> frankly, the available GUI programs under Linux are not quite as
> polished -- no offense to Constantin, as pgaccess is a great little
> tool, but it's not quite as polished.

Whilst pgAdmin was originally intended as a Win32 pgAccess, the two products
are now going in a radically different direction (I believe). Whilst
Constantin is working on user forms and building a 4GL tool (correct me if
I'm wrong here Constantin!), pgAdmin is moving towards providing complete
integration with the backend for administration and design usage. For
example, we are currently working on a Server Side library to overcome some
of the limitations of ODBC as well as interfacing with libpg.dll.

> All of the above installs add up to around 15MB of download, so give
> yourself plenty of time.

Of course if you already have MDAC2 and DCOM then the download is a shade
over 4MB. I would suggest getting pgAdmin first and then downloading the
other bits if you need them.

Thanks for your comments Lamar (and I really don't know him!),

Dave.

--
Dave Page, Network & Systems Manager, The Vale Housing Association Ltd.
http://www.vale-housing.co.uk (Work)
http://www.pgadmin.freeserve.co.uk/ (Home of pgAdmin)
Beer can be a permanent solution - but only if you have enough of it!  

Dave Page wrote:
> 
> Whilst pgAdmin was originally intended as a Win32 pgAccess, the two products
> are now going in a radically different direction (I believe). Whilst
> Constantin is working on user forms and building a 4GL tool (correct me if
> I'm wrong here Constantin!), pgAdmin is moving towards providing complete
> integration with the backend for administration and design usage.

You're right. I really like pgAdmin, I saw the snapshots, impressive,
just it can't be used on Unix platforms. The Tcl/Tk offers the ability
to run PgAccess also on win32 machines as well as Unix ones.

I will "steal" some ideas from Dave's work, making PgAccess better and
tried to "polish" it further. Just that I don't have too much free time.

I am preparing now a new release of PgAccess, completely redesigned
internally, that will offer to developers some sort of PgAccess API in
order to deliver a good environment for building small applications.

Best regards,
-- 
Constantin Teodorescu
FLEX Consulting Braila, ROMANIA

Dave Page wrote:
> > 3.)   You must have the latest PostODBC installed;
> 
> You shouldn't necessarily need the latest, although it is advisable. We
> currently use and test with 6.40.0007.

I shouldn't have said latest; recent is a better word, as you need at
least a 6.4 series PostODBC to connect to a 6.5.1 backend.... But, of
course, your software works fin coupled to 6.4.2, 6.5.0, AND 6.5.1.

> temporary names and then renamed on reboot to the correct name (remember the
> 'Please wait while Windows updates your systemsettings' message?). The
> installer can then run correctly...

Yeah, I remember the message.  I was just noting it so that potential
users won't get annoyed by the reboot deal.  Yet another example of
Microsoft's DLL problems.  And it's not your fault.  It is, however,
similar in concept to RedHat's glibc problems -- and it is a kindred
spirit with the "dump/initdb/reload" experience that is so endearing in
PostgreSQL (BIG grin).  Every substantial package has to give up on
backwards compatability at some juncture -- although I believe that any
serious PostgreSQL user should be reading the HACKERS list -- if nothing
else so they can get Tom Lane's initdb warnings.

> > 5.)   You must set the PostODBC options properly -- go into
> > Datasource button, uncheck Read-Only, Check both boxes under OID.
> > Otherwise, you will get lots of errors.
> 
> This is the most common problem I (used to) get mailed about. pgAdmin now
> does check your settings when the datasource is opened and will complain
> about most problems.

The only errors I got were due to the Read-Only box being checked --
which caused a barf. Although, that was only the first time through -- I
can't get it to repeat the barf.  But, it was a quite cryptic error
message.

> > All of the above installs add up to around 15MB of download, so give
> > yourself plenty of time.
> 
> Of course if you already have MDAC2 and DCOM then the download is a shade
> over 4MB. I would suggest getting pgAdmin first and then downloading the
> other bits if you need them.

Just as a suggestion -- Microsoft does not link from the MDAC download
page to the DCOM page -- could you maybe place a link to that on your
page?  That would help a little, I think.

> Thanks for your comments Lamar (and I really don't know him!),

You're welcome (and I wouldn't know Dave from Adam if I saw him...
;-))... 
After having played with pgAdmin for awhile now, I am really impressed.
The tree-style view of the table and column definitions are nice (of
course, it makes me really feel the absence of ALTER TABLE ALTER
COLUMN....)

It even gives me a good error message when I attempt to view the
contents of pg_log and pg_variable.... Although, I am at a loss to
understand WHY I can't view either of these two system tables....  I
know, "Use the Source, Luke..."

The button help (the pop-up) for Add Column is wrong -- it tells me that
this button is to "rename the selected column."  This is the only error
I have yet seen.  Good Job!

Lamar Owen
WGCR Internet radio