Using htmSQL to Access SPD Server Tables

Requirements and Considerations for Using htmSQL

To use htmSQL, you must have SPD Server tables available on your network. htmSQL must be loaded and configured on a UNIX or Windows operating system, and SPD Servers and SPD SNET servers must be running. If you are working in such an environment, you might want to use htmSQL if one or more of the following criterion are true:

You do not have Base SAS software on the network client to process the data sets.
You want to distribute the information across your corporate intranet through a Web page.
The clients on your network are varied: UNIX boxes, Windows PCs, and workstations.
The audience for the information wants point-and-click access to the data.
You would like to use the JDBC option to extract the information but cannot permit Java applets to run on your network browsers.
You want to distribute the information over the Internet.
Your developers are familiar with SQL and HTML.

Set Up htmSQL on the Server

htmSQL is usually set up on the server at the time the SPD Server is installed. The process is covered in the SPD Server installation manual. htmSQL must be installed on the Web server. You need the name of a data source that points to the SPD SNET server and to the specific LIBNAME domain that contains the SPD Server data you are interested in.

Set Up htmSQL on the Client

The only requirement for htmSQL is a browser on the network or Web client.

htmSQL Configured on an SPD Server Client

Topology of a system using htmSQL to communicate via HTTP with SPD Server

Make a Query with htmSQL

To use htmSQL to make a query:

Open a browser and enter the URL for the Web page that contains the htmSQL code.
Click on the information that you are interested in. htmSQL handles the request, formats the information, and returns the result to the Web page.

Set Up an htmSQL Web Page

SAS Institute maintains a Web site that explains the technical details of setting up htmSQL Web pages. In some cases, there are references to the SAS/SHARE product. The rules for setting up htmSQL for either the SPD Server or SAS/SHARE are virtually the same.

The SAS Institute Web page for htmSQL is at http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/htmsql/59546/HTML/default/main_contents.htm.