README FILE FOR PERL MODULE -- DBD::RAM

WHY USE IT?

    This module lets you quickly create and test databases
    using SQL (Structured Query Language) and DBI
    (the Perl Database Interface).

    Beginners can learn some basics of SQL and DBI without
    needing to install or learn a database management system
    like mySQL or Oracle.

    Advanced users can prototype new databases; test queries
    on existing data; combine data from multiple DBI-accessible
    databases or various kinds of storage such as fixed-width
    records, comma-separated values files, .ini files, XML files,
    and other flat (ascii) files; pull in arrays and hashes from
    other scripts; and use it when in-memory processing is an
    advantage.

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED?

    * An operating system that can run DBI
      (unix, linux, mac, windows, many others).

    * Perl and these modules:  DBI, DBD::File, SQL::Statement.
      (DBD::File is part of the DBD::CSV distibution)

    Windows users: get Perl and the modules at
    www.activestate.com.

    Others: get perl at www.perl.com and the modules at
    www.cpan.org.

HOW DO I INSTALL IT?

    1.  Install Perl and the modules DBI, DBD::CSV, and
        SQL::Statement (if you don't already have them).

    2.  Unpack the compressed files.
        (DBD-RAM-version.tar.gz or DBD-RAM-version.zip)

    3a. If you are not familiar with the standard Perl
        makefile method, you can simply copy the file
        RAM.pm into your DBD directory.

    3b. If you are familiar with the standard Perl make
        installation, just do as always (perl Makefile.PL;
        make; make test; make install) this should also
        work with dmake or nmake.

HOW DO I USE IT?

    First you might like to try this simple script which
    creates a database and inserts the string "hello new world"
    into a record  and then uses SQL to retrieve the record and
    print it:

    #!perl -w
    use strict;
    use DBI;
    my $dbh = DBI->connect('DBI:RAM:');
    $dbh->do("CREATE TABLE table1 ( message TEXT )");
    $dbh->do("INSERT INTO table1 VALUES ('Hello new world!')");
    print $dbh->selectrow_array("SELECT message FROM table1");


WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFO?

    After installing the module, type "perldoc DBD::RAM" at
    the command prompt, or just read the documentation at
    the bottom of the RAM.pm file.

    For help on the use of DBD::RAM, see the DBI users
    mailing list:

         http://www.isc.org/dbi-lists.html

    For general information on DBI see

         http://www.symbolstone.org/technology/perl/DBI

WHO DUNNIT?

 Jeff Zucker <[email protected]>

 Feel free to email me comments and suggestions, but please
 post questions requiring a response to the dbi-users mailing
 list(see above).