Db independent solution to importing data

Hi,

For product demos to get users up and running quickly I need a database
and content.

While databases such as Oracle have great uilities like import/export
to ship 'start/vendor supplied reference data' I would like to ship
something suitable for several databases - Oracle, mySQL, hSql, etc.

I dont have a problem writing the sql schema scripts - most of the
differences from one database to another are not huge to change.

But the content seems problematic - regardless of the db vendor - while
I *could* use general insert statements (ugh) - that falls down quickly
with 2000 character fields or binary data.

Do I truly need to write my own stand alone application (perhaps Java +
propreitary binary files) to import the reference data or is there
another way?

thanks

Tim

(rips open the plastic wrapper of microwavable popcorn and heads to the
kitchen ...)

I wonder how long it will be until Mladen mentions the Perl DBI and its
cross-platform abilities albeit limited by lacking array-interface
support.

4:08 pm EDT.

-bdbafh

<timasmith@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1147895142.398214.254280@u72g2000cwu.googlegr oups.com...
> Hi,
>
> For product demos to get users up and running quickly I need a database
> and content.
>
> While databases such as Oracle have great uilities like import/export
> to ship 'start/vendor supplied reference data' I would like to ship
> something suitable for several databases - Oracle, mySQL, hSql, etc.
>
> I dont have a problem writing the sql schema scripts - most of the
> differences from one database to another are not huge to change.
>
> But the content seems problematic - regardless of the db vendor - while
> I *could* use general insert statements (ugh) - that falls down quickly
> with 2000 character fields or binary data.
>
> Do I truly need to write my own stand alone application (perhaps Java +
> propreitary binary files) to import the reference data or is there
> another way?
>
> thanks
>
> Tim
>
I don't know about mySQL etc. but don't each of those have an export and
import utility? If they do then just do 3 exports, 1 from each db. Then
ship them and let the customer import with the proper utility. It should
take a lot shorter than writing something. (and making that thing perform
well etc.) You have to test agaainst all those databases anyway.(so you
should have them in house)
Jim

Perhaps you can use http://dbunit.sourceforge.net/ ?

Though I have no real experience with the tool so I can't qualify my
suggestion.