Technical FAQ

Table of contents

Q:
What development and run-time environments are supported by Active Query Builder?
A:

There are several editions available:

  • Active Query Builder .NET Edition supports Visual Studio .NET 2005 and 2008 (.NET 2.0 and higher), Windows.Forms environment.
  • Active Query Builder ActiveX Edition can be used in any software project which supports ActiveX controls as well as in the .Net projects. For example, you can use it with Visual Basic 6.0, Visual Basic .NET, Visual C++ 6.0, Visual C#, PowerBuilder, Visual FoxPro and so on.
    ActiveX Edition was tested in ASP.NET and Windows.Forms environments.
  • Active Query Builder VCL Edition supports Borland Delphi 5-7, Borland C++ Builder 5, 6 and BDS 2005-2007 (Win32 Delphi and C++ Builder personalities).
Q:
How to start using Active Query Builder?
A:

We recommend you to start from the following guides:

Q:
How to learn more about Active Query Builder?
A:

There are numerous demo projects that included in the installation packages to illustrate different aspects of the component's functionality:

  • Visual Usage Samples
    • Two-way SQL query building (combined usage of SQL text editor with the query builder)
    • Working with parameters (see the tabControl1_Selected procedure)
    • Metadata manipulations (filtration, editing, working with XML files)
    .NET Edition: Simple and Full-featured MDI Demos;
    ActiveX Edition: Numerous Language Demos;
    VCL Edition: Main Demo Project.
  • Non-visual Usage Sample (N/A in the Free version)
    • Filling of the Metadata Container
    • SQL query structure analysis
    • Retrieval of cumulative information for the query
    • Programmatic creation of SQL queries (N/A in the ActiveX Edition)
  • Alternate Names Demo Project (N/A in the Free version)

    Ability to define alternate names for database objects and their fields is used to replace real names with user-friendly alternatives within the visual query building interface. Using this feature, the user may even write SQL query by hand using alternate names; they will be transformed to real names in the Query Builder.

  • Metadata Loading Demo Project
    • Using the OnExecSQL event
    • Using various events of the Event Metadata Provider
    • Direct filling of the Metadata Container
    ActiveX Edition users should refer to the Non-visual usage sample; "Filling of the Metadata Container" section.
  • Samples for specific database servers, connection methods and languages

    Vary depending on used edition of the component.

Q:
How to remove the "ActiveDBSoft" background logo and the "www.activequerybuilder.com" link?
A:

The background logo, the hyperlink at the bottom and other ads (nag screen, context menu items, etc.) are present in the Free and Trial versions only. By purchasing the Standard version, you will free from these elements at all.

Q:
What are the main limitations of the Free version? Is it really FREE?
A:

The Free version has the Universal Syntax Provider only. This syntax provider is capable to extract metadata from the vast majority of today's popular database servers, but the SQL syntax it is strictly limited to the ANSI SQL/92 standard, thus it can't build or parse specific queries for many database servers.

Programming API limitations deny query structure analysis and programming modifications of SQL queries. Also there is no access to the MetadataContainer object to manipulate with metadata.

Many other advanced features are disabled, such as working in Offline mode (i.e. without live connection to the database), building queries with user-friendly alternate names instead of real database object and field names, etc.

For more information, please visit the Feature Matrix page for specific edition of Active Query Builder:

The Free version of Active Query Builder can be used freely for any purposes, without any fees and royalties.

Q:
I have another question? Where can I ask it?
A:
  • Support Ticket System
    • Submit a Request
      Please provide us as much information as you can including: urgency, product name and version, what you are trying to do and the error information.
    • Check on a Request
      To check an existing request, enter the Access key you received in the confirmation message.
  • Forum

    Please use the Forum to ask any questions, if you aren't in a hurry, so everyone can benefit from your question. Also there you may discuss our products and suggest new features and improvements.

News

Testimonial

With users expecting better and better interfaces to deal with complex data retrieval, Active Query Builder has allowed me to provide a highly professional, robust environment to both novice users and skilled query writers.

Thanks to all the team involved. Please keep up the good work.
CodeGear - Where Developers Matter

Screenshots

Multiple joins

Multiple joins
Active Query Builder automatically determines relationships between tables and creates appropriate joins for them.

Subqueries

Subqueries
Subqueries are located on separate tabs and can be accessed and built visually as easy as the main query.

Unions

Unions
Unions are managed from within the union panel at the corner of the visual query builder pane. You can build a query containing several unions in a few clicks!


More Screenshots