Newbie asks for help with build on OS X

[unboggling]

Anyone want to help a newbie build an ODBC driver for SQLite from source on OS X? The driver is available in binary for Windows32, W64, and Linux platforms. It was originally developed for Windows. The Mac OS X intel version has something vital missing from the binary package so according to the developer must be built from source.

This driver presumably enables use of SQL queries to fetch data from calibredb (SQLite) back to a spreadsheet, which presumably would be useful providing flexibility to calibre power users with large book libraries (meaning large datasets).

I'm an old-timer with rusty out-of-date skills and I don't even know where to start with this build. Plus the driver was developed primarily for Windows, though it has been implemented on Linux and on Mac OS. OS X is unix-based, my unix skills from 20 years ago are faded and perhaps no longer relevant, I'm lucky if I remember what cd and ls mean.

So for all those reasons the amount of help I need is large and the project may not be worth it in the first place.

For further context, if you're interested, please see this thread:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=117048

[chaley]

I know that it is another step and a point where errors can be made, but you could use the sqlite shell to dump the calibre database as SQL, then import that SQL into a db that you can get an ODBC driver for.

You could also write a plugin to write your own CSV from within calibre, then import that into a DB.

[unboggling]

@chaley. I used to hate working with ingres, db2, and oracle. So it doesn't make much sense that I'm pursuing this ODBC thing, except I figured there'd have been many technical advances since those old days so these days it might be easier and might even work well.

Regarding the plugin suggestion, you've mentioned it before and I'm keeping it in the back of my mind but I'm not sure I'm ready to work with python yet. Re-immersing myself in VB, which at least I used to be relatively proficient with before, I've found that even VB has advanced considerably. So I thought a gradual progression of honing my skills might work best for me. To me python looks scary at this point.

SQLite shell? I didn't see anything about that in the calibre user manual. I'll go look for documentation on the SQLite site.

[unboggling]

Originally Posted by chaley

you could use the sqlite shell to dump the calibre database as SQL, then import that SQL into a db that you can get an ODBC driver for.

That approach looks promising. I wonder if ms query and/or excel could deal with that SQL export directly without and odbc driver and expensive database? I'll look into it. Thanks.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by unboggling

That approach looks promising. I wonder if ms query and/or excel could deal with that SQL export directly without and odbc driver and expensive database? I'll look into it.

Use MySQL or PostgreSQL. Both are well supported and very high quality DBMS. And both are open source/free. I would pick MySQL, as I find it a bit easier to manage, but I know others who very much disagree with me.

I would be astounded if MS query could use the SQL directly. However, you might be able to import it into MS access if that is on the mac.

[unboggling]

If anyone is curious enough to want to look at the source, this is the link to the odbc driver downloads page.
http://www.ch-werner.de/sqliteodbc/

[GRiker]

Originally Posted by unboggling

Regarding the plugin suggestion, you've mentioned it before and I'm keeping it in the back of my mind but I'm not sure I'm ready to work with python yet. Re-immersing myself in VB, which at least I used to be relatively proficient with before, I've found that even VB has advanced considerably. So I thought a gradual progression of honing my skills might work best for me. To me python looks scary at this point.

As an ex-VB programmer, I can tell you that Python is more fun, more intuitive, faster to develop (yes, really), and there's no going back. A great intro is Mark Lutz's book.

G

[unboggling]

Originally Posted by chaley

Use MySQL or PostgreSQL. Both are well supported and very high quality DBMS. And both are open source/free.

Nope, no ms access here. And I'm starting to wean myself from ms products and switch to open source products, such as open office. So thanks for the MySQL suggestion, I was on their site earlier today while looking for odbc drivers and it looked good.

[unboggling]

Originally Posted by GRiker

As an ex-VB programmer, I can tell you that Python is more fun, more intuitive, faster to develop (yes, really), and there's no going back. A great intro is Mark Lutz's book.

G

Hmm. That's the opposite of what I'd assumed (of course). I'll look for the book. Thanks.

[Manichean]

Originally Posted by GRiker

As an ex-VB programmer, I can tell you that Python is more fun, more intuitive, faster to develop (yes, really), and there's no going back. A great intro is Mark Lutz's book.

If you've done programming before, even the tutorial part of the Python documentation (It even comes with the installation on Windows systems! ) is broad enough to give an introduction. I learned what I know of Python from that.

[unboggling]

OK. I ordered Lutz's 3 books in paperback (ironically) from Amazon. Until they get here in 2 days I'll use the doc that came with python on OS X. I'm also downloading MySQL. Thanks, chaley, GRiker, Manichean.