To open and work in an SQL-type database, you need to tell On-Screen Takeoff the Server Name, enter in your login information, and then select the Database from a list.
In the Open Databases dialog box, you use the Find... function to connect to an SQL-type Database.
Connecting to a Microsoft SQL database
To "Find" an Access database stored someplace other than the "database" folder:
- Right-click anywhere in the Bids Tab and select Open, or
- Click the Open icon,
on the Main toolbar, or - Click File > Open
The Open Databases dialog box opens
- Click the Find... button
- Select 'Microsoft SQL Server'
The Connect to SQL Server dialog box opens.
- Type the name of the SQL Server in the SQL Server field (you will need to contact your SQL Server or Network Administrator for assistance; this is not something ConstructConnect knows or furnishes). If you're connecting to a "Named Instance", type in the name of the server followed by the instance, for example: "sqlserver\instance"
Each user sharing an SQL database must type the name of the server exactly the same, case matters. We recommend using all lower-case letters, just to be consistent. When users type the server name differently, interactive projects will experience connectivity issues and potential data loss.
- Select appropriate server authentication under "Connect using" (this also is determined by your SQL Server Administrator, please contact him or her with questions on how you should connect to the server)
- Windows authentication passes the Windows login information to SQL
- SQL Authentication requires a Login Name and Password provided by the SQL Server Administrator (recommended)
- Click Connect - the program attempts to connect to the SQL Server, then displays all databases found on that server
- Select a database to open (this list shows every database stored in that SQL Server, not just databases that are compatible with On-Screen Takeoff - this is why including "OST" in your database name is so important)
Until the program attempts to open a database, On-Screen Takeoff has no way of knowing if it is an OST database or not; it is important that your organization names its databases logically and includes some sort of product identification (“OST”) in the database name.
- Click OK
The database is now listed in the Open Databases dialog box with a check mark:
- Click OK to close the Open Databases dialog box and return to the Projects Tab
All databases checked in the Open dialog are displayed on the Projects Tab.
SQL databases do not show a Date Modified or Size entry, nor are they be 'backed up' using On-Screen Takeoff.
 Finding an Access-type Database | Creating a Microsoft Access Database  |
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