README FILE FOR PERL MODULE -- DBD::RAM

WHY USE IT?

     This module lets you quickly create and test databases 
     using SQL (Structured Query Language) and DBI 
     (the Perl Database Interface).

     Beginners can learn some basics of SQL and DBI without
     needing to install or learn a database management system
     like mySQL or Oracle.

     Advanced users can prototype new databases; test queries
     on existing data; combine data from multiple DBI-accessible
     databases or various kinds of storage such as fixed-width 
     records, comma-separated values files, .ini files, XML files,
     and other flat (ascii) files; pull in arrays and hashes from 
     other scripts; and use it when in-memory processing is an 
     advantage.

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED?

     * An operating system that can run DBI
       (unix, linux, mac, windows, many others).

     * Perl and these modules:  DBI, DBD::File, SQL::Statement.
       (DBD::File is part of the DBD::CSV distibution)

     Windows users: get Perl and the modules at 
     www.activestate.com.

     Others: get perl at www.perl.com and the modules at 
     www.cpan.org.

HOW DO I INSTALL IT?

     1.  Install Perl and the modules DBI, DBD::CSV, and 
         SQL::Statement (if you don't already have them).

     2.  Unpack the compressed files.
         (DBD-RAM-version.tar.gz or DBD-RAM-version.zip)

     3a. If you are not familiar with the standard Perl
         makefile method, you can simply copy the file 
         RAM.pm into your DBD directory.
  
     3b. If you are familiar with the standard Perl make 
         installation, just do as always (perl Makefile.PL; 
         make; make test; make install) this should also 
         work with dmake or nmake. 

HOW DO I USE IT?

     First you might like to try this simple script which 
     creates a database and inserts the string "hello new world"
     into a record  and then uses SQL to retrieve the record and 
     print it:

     #!perl -w
     use strict;
     use DBI;
     my $dbh = DBI->connect('DBI:RAM:');
     $dbh->do("CREATE TABLE table1 ( message TEXT )");
     $dbh->do("INSERT INTO table1 VALUES ('Hello new world!')");
     print $dbh->selectrow_array("SELECT message FROM table1");


WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFO?

     After installing the module, type "perldoc DBD::RAM" at 
     the command prompt, or just read the documentation at 
     the bottom of the RAM.pm file.

     For help on the use of DBD::RAM, see the DBI users 
     mailing list:

          http://www.isc.org/dbi-lists.html

     For general information on DBI see

          http://www.symbolstone.org/technology/perl/DBI

WHO DUNNIT?

  Jeff Zucker <jeff@vpservices.com>

  Feel free to email me comments and suggestions, but please
  post questions requiring a response to the dbi-users mailing
  list(see above).