User's Guide

Part III. Using SQL Anywhere

Chapter 17. Working with Database Objects

ISQL is a utility for entering SQL statements, supplied with SQL Anywhere. If you are using ISQL to work with your database schema, instead of executing the SQL commands one at a time, you should build up the set of commands in an ISQL command file. This file can then be executed in ISQL to build the database.

If you are using a tool other than ISQL, all the information in this chapter concerning SQL statements still applies.

If you have not created your database using command files, you can create a command file that would recreate your database by unloading the database.

  For a description of the DBUNLOAD utility, see "The Unload utility".

ISQL command file

An ISQL command file is a text file with semicolons placed at the end of commands (see the chapter "Command Files") as shown below.

     CREATE TABLE t1 ( .. );
     CREATE TABLE t2 ( .. );
     CREATE INDEX i2 ON t2 ( .. );
     ..

An ISQL command file is usually given a name with the extension SQL. To create your database using a command file, you can either paste it into the ISQL command window (for files with less than 500 lines), or execute the saved command file by entering a command to read the file into the ISQL command window. For example:

     read makesdb

will read the ISQL commands in the file MAKEDB.SQL.