From: bhc@dirac.i-kinetics.com (Bruce Cottman)
Subject: Re: MSW Excel to Sybase  over TCP/IP ?
Reply-To: bhc@i-kinetics.com
Organization: I-Kinetics, Inc., Cambridge, MA USA
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 14:49:19 GMT

Q+E (ships with Excel).  ..But.. You probably want to get the "full" client/server
version directly from Pioneer.  

However, if you deploying EISs based on Excel, and you need to access 
"production" databases, which are heavily used,
-or-
you would rather have more a more direct link to Sybase (or Oracle), 
you might consider the following solution:

**WARNING: SELF SERVING ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOWS***

I-Bridge: Complete solution for accessing Oracle and Sybase from MS EXCEL

Today's most vexing data problem is not whether or where the needed
information exists but how to transfer it to and from your favorite
desktop application. Usually the solutions available are to type in
the data, or import a file from a network or floppy disk.

With I-Bridge you can access more and better information now, when you
need it.  While in your favorite Microsoft Windows applications you
can grab data directly from remote corporate databases.  You gain
access to up-to-the-minute database information. And since the data is
now in your Microsoft Windows application, you have complete control
to format and analyze it to your specific needs.  All this without
having to learn yet another application just so that you can get your
job done. There is no learning curve. You realize increased
productivity immediately.

*********I-Bridge Version 2.0 Features************


() Breaks the 64KB Windows Data Transfer Barrier.

I-Bridge succeeds where other Windows database links fail. It breaks 
through 64 KByte barrier of MS Windows with data transfers of 1000 KByte 
or more.  

Who needs more 64KB?  This is about 800 rows.  Is this enough? Not
when finance wants an audit report. Not when marketing wants quota
drilldowns.  Not when trading wants a fund holdings detail.  How big
is your database 1MB, 100MB, 10,000MB?  What are the chances that you
are going to need to download more than 64KB of data from it?  What
are going to do?

() The fastest data transfer available.

I-Bridge blasts data in at greater 150 pages per minute!

() Retrieves data in background freeing you to do other work.

The I-Bridge works in the background.  Your application is not blocked
waiting for data to be returned.

Asking for data against heavily loaded database servers can result
in long wait times.  You do not want your application to be locked
for minutes maybe even hours.  

() Triggers

I-Bridge triggers are similar to the advanced features in the 
latest releases of modern relational DBMS products.  Using triggers,
the I-Bridge will activate your spreadsheet macro when the data is
returned.  

You can build very sophisticated spreadsheet applications
using I-Bridge triggers.

For example, you can build sophisticated spreadsheet models or reports
with I-Bridge automatically gathering the data from remote databases.
You can also pre-schedule your transfers from one or more corporate
databases, automating daily, weekly or monthly analysis and reporting.
And please, don't let your imagination stop there.  You can
automatically distribute these reports using already in-place e-mail,
printers or fax modems.  Or automatically store them in a remote
database.  You could even automate the generation of an up-to-date
distribution list using the I-Bridge to reach the corporation's
employee or customer profile database.

() SQL CASE Assistant  -- Generate complete spreadsheet data access macros

() Full DDE support for integration with other Windows applications

You can build your own custom applications using Microsoft Excel, Word
and Visual Basic, Lotus 1-2-3, Ami, Notes and Improv, Borland
ObjectVision and Quatro and Asymetrix Toolbook.  Any application that
supports Windows Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) can use the I-Bridge to
link remote services.

() Full Unix and TCP/IP networking support.

TCP/IP is the standard Network Operation System for Unix.
   
() Gateway toolkit for accessing other Unix services:  libraries and datafeeds

() Transaction Monitor

See the status of all your pending requests immediately.

() Access to Oracle and Sybase, the two most popular Unix DBMSs.

The I-Bridge supports both standard SQL and SQL extensions. You can
use your organizations full investment is such advanced DBMS features
as stored procedures, aggregates and multiple selects.

() Add-in macro library for Excel 3.0 and Excel 4.0.

() Support for both Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1.

Newsgroups: comp.databases.sybase