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iSeries Access for Web: Database Access Made Easy

iSeries Access for Web offers end-user browser-based data access while providing necessary security functions. In addition, it enables administrators to design SQL queries for users to run while restricting access to modifying database records. For information on obtaining iSeries Access for Web, click here.

Overview of Functionality
The iSeries Access for Web Database tab groups database functionality into five sections:

• Run SQL
• Tables
• My requests
• Copy data to table
• Import request

Delivered with the Client Access Family since 2001, iSeries Access for Web makes it easy to find functionality through different paths. For instance, an SQL statement can be run by directly selecting a table and clicking "Run SQL," or by clicking "Run SQL" from the left-hand side of the navigation bar.

The "Tables" function allows users to view appropriate tables. The list of tables shown can be filtered by setting the "Table filter" user preference. (Note: A single value is considered to be a library. So if I have a table, "funks," in the library, "susan," I can either enter "susan" or "funks.susan" as the table filter value to see my table.) The character "%" is a wild card, so "sus%" displays all tables with a library that starts with "sus" as shown in Figure 1. This feature allows users to filter a database search to specific tables of interest as the "Table filter" user preference takes a comma-separated list of table names. Once a table is selected, users can insert information or update rows. They can run an SQL statement or copy data to a table from a variety of file types. "Quick view" provides a quick look at a table, displaying column headings and values.

I tried inserting values into a table from the "Tables" view and found the interface easy to use. Users should appreciate how it provides default values for those fields that have them. The INT field in my table, for example, displayed a default value of 0 when I tried to insert it into the table.

Choosing to run an SQL statement against the table brings up a simple "SELECT * FROM SUSAN.FUNKS" (select all from the table). (Note: SQL uses a period to separate a library name from a table name, rather than a slash, which is the iSeries default.)

iSeries Access for Web can meet the needs of many administrators to allow their users convenient browser-based database access, while not allowing users full reign over a database.

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