SQL Server Driver for PHP released

SQL Server driver (SQLServer31.exe, 499KB, version 3.1.CTP) for PHP is now available as a CTP. Now PHP scripts can access Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Azure SQL Database.

You can download the CTP here:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20098&WT.mc_id=Blog_SQL_Announce_DI

Details of this version:

• This version supports PHP Version 5.5 and requires Microsoft ODBC driver 11 (or higher)
• It supports SQL Server 2012; localDB abd AlwaysOn features
• Buffered Queries are included

All SQL Server user can get it at no extra cost.

This widens the interoperability range.
The soon to be released JDBC driver compatible with JDK7 for SQL Server will enable applications to connect to SQL Server widening connectivity with the Java Platform.

Can you access SQL Server 2012 using OpenOffice 4.0?

Yes, you can. You can even connect to SQL Azure.

This is how you connect to SQL Server 2012:

It just takes 4 easy steps as you will see presently.

It's assumed that you have set up an ODBC DSN to connect to SQL Server 2012. If you want to know how you can set up this file access the following link:

http://hodentekmsss.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-do-you-create-odbc-dsn-to-sql.html

Click open OpenOffice 4.0 from its shortcut on desktop to display the following:

Click on Database in the displayed list.

The Database wizard is displayed as shown with four steps and it is already in Step 1 -Select Database.

Click Connect to an existing database and click the drop-down list to view how you want to connect.

Choose the last one, ODBC. Click Next. You Step into step 2 - Set up an ODBC Connection.

The accessible ODBC sources are displayed as shown.

Click on sql11 and Click OK. Click Next. You move into Step 3 - Set up user authentication. Enter credentials to the SQL Server. The windows authentication is used.

Place check mark for Password required. Click Test Connection.

Enter Password field and click OK. You should see a positive response as shown.

Click OK and click Next to move to Step 4 - Save and proceed as shown.

Read instructions. Save the OpenOffice database with a name as shown, Aug 25.odf.

The file opens in the OpenOffice 4.0 user interface as shown.

Now you can start working with Northwind database in OpenOffice 4.0

Perhaps, if you find connecting to SQL Server 2012 using SSMS is a bit taxing and somewhat intimidating try Apache OpenOffice 4.0. 

SQL Azure- Open source access

In my 2011 book, I have described the procedure for connecting to SQL Azure using OpenOffice Version 3.2.1. Basically OpenOffice supports this connectivity using ODBC. Follow this link:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/hh974312.aspx

Download Microsoft ODBC Driver 11 for SQL Server (windows) here:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36434

This should let you create an ODBC connection which allows connection to SQL Servers.

Once you have this you can follow the procedure in "Microsoft SQL Azure: Enterprise Application Development,2011, ISBN:978-1-849680-80-6, Chapter 10: Recent Developments #OpenOffice access to SQL Azure"

Please note that I have not tested this with new version of Apache OpenOffice and the new ODBC driver.

The above example shows running reports using SQL Azure Data.