Use interactive SQL

Interactive SQL allows the programmer or database administrator to quickly and easily define, update, delete, or look at data for testing, problem analysis, and database maintenance.

A programmer, using interactive SQL, can insert rows into a table and test the SQL statements before running them in an application program. A database administrator can use interactive SQL to grant or revoke privileges, create or drop schemas, tables, or views, or select information from system catalog tables.

After an interactive SQL statement is run, a completion message or an error message is displayed. In addition, status messages are normally displayed during long-running statements.

You can see help on a message by positioning the cursor on the message and pressing F1=Help.

The basic functions supplied by interactive SQL are:

• The statement entry function allows you to:
  • Type in an interactive SQL statement and run it.
  • Retrieve and edit statements.
  • Prompt for SQL statements.
  • Page through previous statements and messages.
  • Call session services.
  • Start the list selection function.
  • Exit interactive SQL.
• The prompt function allows you to type either a complete SQL statement or a partial SQL statement, press F4=Prompt, and then be prompted for the syntax of the statement. It also allows you to press F4 to get a menu of all SQL statements. From this menu, you can select a statement and be prompted for the syntax of the statement.
• The list selection function allows you to select from lists of your authorized relational databases, schemas, tables, views, columns, constraints, or SQL packages.

  The selections you make from the lists can be inserted into the SQL statement at the cursor position.

• The session services function allows you to:
  • Change session attributes.
  • Print the current session.
  • Remove all entries from the current session.
  • Save the session in a source file.

• Start interactive SQL
  You can start using interactive SQL by typing STRSQL on an i5/OS™ command line.
• Use statement entry function
  The statement entry function is the function you first enter when selecting interactive SQL. You return to the statement entry function after processing each interactive SQL statement.
• Prompting
  The prompt function helps you supply the necessary information for the syntax of the statement you want to use. The prompt function can be used in any of these statement processing modes: *RUN, *VLD, and *SYN.
• Use the list selection function
  The list selection function is available by pressing F4 on certain prompt displays, or F16, F17, or F18 on the Enter SQL Statements display.
• Session services description
  The interactive SQL Session Services display is requested by pressing F13 on the Enter SQL Statements display.
• Exit interactive SQL
  Pressing F3=Exit on the Enter SQL Statements display allows you to exit the interactive SQL environment. You have several options for exiting.
• Use an existing SQL session
  If you saved only one interactive SQL session by using option 1 (Save and exit session) on the Exit Interactive SQL display, you may resume that session at any workstation.
• Recover an SQL session
  If the previous SQL session ended abnormally, interactive SQL presents the Recover SQL Session display at the start of the next session (when the next STRSQL command is entered).
• Access remote databases with interactive SQL
  In interactive SQL, you can communicate with a remote relational database by using the SQL CONNECT statement. Interactive SQL uses the CONNECT (Type 2) semantics (distributed unit of work) for CONNECT statements.