FAQ
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Server script installation
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Driver Configuration
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f2udsn
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OpenOffice
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Driver installation
- Where can I find the key to install the software?
A key is needed for the Professional version only. When you purchased the Professional version you have received an email from your distributor containing the installation key. You can copy and paste the key from the email.
- How do I uninstall the driver?
Run setupodbchttp.exe or setupodbchttple.exe again. The installer will detect the installed driver and show the uninstall button. Note that scripts are deleted locally but not on your server.
- What software do I need to install to connect to a HTPPS server?
HTTPS connections use the OpenSSL libraries. OpenSSL can be found here, binaries for windows here.
ODBCHTTP does not bundle OpenSSLfor the following reasons:
- OpenSSLcontains cryptographic software and is subject to usage and export legislation.
- Parts of the software are patented in some countries.
- Some applications come with their own version of OpenSSL. Installing different DLL versions of the same software can cause serious problems.
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Server script installation
- Where do I install the script?
The script can be installed anywhere on your server. There is no restriction other than the total length of the URL. You can also rename the filename of the script. If you change the extension, make sure the new extension is registered for the correct scripting language.
- What about security?
As most web based database applications, security is entirely based on database login credentials. These credentials are not stored in the server scripts but provided by the client that connects to the server. Connection details are stored temporarely on the server in a session.
Transmission security can be improved by using the https protocol.
On the client computer database login parameters can be stored in the DNS. Be aware that passwords are stored in clear text in the registry or a file. Don’t store database passwords or even usernames in the DNS if you want to maximise security.
- Do I need to worry about session timeout?
No. HTTPODBC recognises session timeouts and will reconnect automatically.
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Driver Configuration
- What do I have to enter into the URL field ?
ODBCHTTP talks to a PHP or ASP script on the webserver. You have to put here the complete address of the script file. Example : www.yourserver.com/odbchttpmysql.php.
The default protocol is http and doesn’t need to be specified in the URL. If you want to connect to a https server (Professional version only), you need to specify the protocol : ex. https://www.yourserver.com/odbchttpmysql.php.
If you uploaded the script with the setup program or with any other ftp program, check that the root for http is the same as the root for ftp (ie : ftp://www.yourserver.com/file points to the same as http://www.yourserver.com/file). Some ISP’s use different root directories and you will need to adapt the URL accordingly.
Click on the Test button to check the URL and watch out for any error message you are receiving. If the error message you are getting is related to the database, the URL is correct but there is probably a mistake in the database related fields.
- Where do I get the database server, username, password and database settings ?
If you are connecting to a database hosted by your own ISP, you will have received these data from your ISP.
Username and password are the ones to connect to the database and are sometimes different from the ones used to connect to ftp or to your ISP account administation.
When the database server is on the same machine as the web server you can leave the setting empty or specify « localhost » (without the quotes).
The database is the default database (mysql), user (Oracle) or schema you are connecting to.
- I’m getting « server error 500 » when executing large queries .
This is problably an issue with script timeout or memory limitations on the server. Check these limitations with your ISP. You can limit the memory usage for PHP scripts by lowering the « Server(KB) » setting in the ODBCHTTP driver setup. This will cut the reply from the server in smaller blocks sent to the client and limit the memory used in building the server reply.
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f2udsn
- What is f2udsn ?
f2udsn.exe is a small windows application that converts .odbc files into a user or system datasource. Double clicking on a file called for example www.mydatabase.com.odbc will create a data source www.mydatabase.com on your computer using all the settings included in the file.
Making available for download or sending out an .odbc file is a powerfull way to publish your online databases.
Depending on your administrative rights the data source created will be a user DSN or a system DSN. Please note that windows allows you to create a user DSN and system DSN with the same name. It is up to the application to determine which one is used in case of duplicate names. Most applications give user DSN’s a higher priority than system DSN’s. Test your application thoroughly before relying on this feature.
- Where is f2udsn.exe ?
f2udsn.exe is located in the directory used to install the driver. This is the Windows “system32″ system directory by default.
- How can I create an .odbc file?
The structure of an .odbc file is identical to a file DSN. In ODBC data source administrator (Control panel / Administrative tools) open the File DSN tab, and click on Add. Select the ODBCHTTP driver, enter the name of the data source you want to create and configure your data source. The file DSN will be created with the extension .dsn. Rename the file to .odbc.
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OpenOffice
- How do I get multilingual (unicode, utf) characters working ?
As a prerequisite, your database platform has to support one of the unicode charactersets (utf8, utf16, ucs2,..) . ODBCHTTP needs to be configured with the « server uses utf8 » checkbox checked (Professional version only).
Openoffice talks to odbc only in byte mode. Therefore you need to specify in OOO in the database connection settings that the database is using utf8 as characterset. You’ll also need to tell the odbc driver that the application (OOO) is using utf8. You can check the « Applications use utf8 » checkbox in the ODBCHTTP driver settings but this will then be the default for all applications talking in byte mode to odbc. The better way of doing this is to specify this setting in the connection string in the OOO database setting by entering “UTF8=YES;” (without the quotes) in the ODBC Options field. IMPORTANT: you need to save and close the odb file and re-open before the changes take effect! Here is the complete configuration for using utf8:
How to select UTF8 in OOO
- I can’t get multilingual characters in table- and fieldnames working when using utf8.
This is a bug in OOO (issue 102623)
