             SoftSolutions(R) 4.1 for Windows Update

                     DOCUMENTATION REVISIONS
                               for
    SoftSolutions Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) Reference

        (C) 1995 Novell, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.  5/95
_________________________________________________________________

This file was created as an ASCII text file.  Any portion of this
file may be reproduced for use by licensed users of SoftSolutions
4.1 for Windows.
_________________________________________________________________

This document provides revisions to the SoftSolutions 4.0 for
Windows ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) Reference for updating
to SoftSolutions 4.1.

Different editions of the SoftSolutions ODBC Reference have been
issued during the life of the 4.0 and 4.0a versions.  Print dates
are listed with the page numbers to identify which revisions
apply to which reference.

>> Introduction  p. 1 (1-12-94)

Add the following introductory paragraph:

     SoftSolutions' Extension Level 1 ODBC compliance allows any
     ODBC-compliant application to query the SoftSolutions
     database.  Using Microsoft's ODBC specification,
     administrators can use SoftSolutions' ODBC driver in
     conjunction with another application (e.g., Visual Basic) to
     create user applications for querying the SoftSolutions
     database.

>> ODBC Overview  p. 1 (1-12-94)

Add the following section after the introductory paragraph (but
before the Network Installation section):

     ODBC OVERVIEW ______________________________________________

     What is Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)?  Before this
     question is addressed it may be more appropriate to ask the
     question, What is a database?

        * A database is an integrated unit of collected data
          stored in a memory and directly accessible by
          different paths, intended for the wide
          distribution of information, managed by special
          software.

     We can use the definition above to understand ODBC. 
     Microsoft's ODBC specification provides a common Application
     Programming Interface (API), which is vendor-neutral and
     which gives any ODBC-enabled front-end application equal
     access to most databases.  ODBC is based on the SQL Access
     Group's Call-Level Interface specification.

                       ===================
                           Application
                       ===================
                                |
                                | SQL
                                |
                           ----------
                              ODBC
                           ----------
                                |
                                | SQL
                                |
                        -----------------
                           ODBC Driver
                        -----------------
                                |
                                |
                    -------------------------
                        SoftSolutions API
                    -------------------------
                                |
                                |
                  =============================
                      SoftSolutions Database
                  =============================

     Under Windows, ODBC drivers are implemented as Windows
     Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs).  An ODBC driver is a program
     component which maps the ODBC API and SQL syntax to the
     DBMS-specific database engine or file system.

     ODBC database drivers perform a function which is analogous
     to Windows printer drivers.  Although printers differ in
     significant ways from each other (lasers, dot matrixes, ink
     jets, etc.), printer drivers mask the differences and allow
     Windows applications to take maximum advantage of the
     capabilities of any printer without burdening the
     application and without addressing the specific
     characteristics of each printer.  While database
     connectivity is an inherently more difficult problem, the
     same concept of device independence applies.

     SoftSolutions currently has an Extension Level 1 compliant
     driver.  Thus, any ODBC-compliant application is capable of
     accessing the SoftSolutions database.  SoftSolutions also
     supports the minimum SQL grammar, except queries which
     create, delete or modify the structure of SoftSolutions
     Tables.

     ODBC relies on drivers to execute various application-
     specific commands.  The SoftSolutions ODBC driver, known by
     the filenames SSODBC.DLL and SSODBCSP.DLL, allows the
     Microsoft's ODBC driver to make query calls to the
     SoftSolutions API.

>> ODBC Terminology  p. 1 (1-12-94)

Add the following section immediately after the new ODBC
Overview section:

     ODBC TERMINOLOGY ___________________________________________

     Application Programming Interface - A set of routines that
     an application program uses to request and carry out lower-
     level services performed by the computer's operating system.

     Column - Corresponds to fields in SoftSolutions files.

     Dynamic Link Library - An executable code module for
     Microsoft Windows that can be loaded on demand and linked at
     run time, and then unloaded when the code is no longer
     needed.

     Driver - A program component which maps the ODBC API and SQL
     syntax to the DBMS specific database engine or file system.

     Extension Level - ODBC conformance level supported.  For a
     driver to be considered to conform at a given API
     conformance level, it must support all of the API functions
     at that level.

     ODBC - Standard set of vendor neutral, database query
     protocols.

     Query - Act of accessing a data source.

     Row - Corresponds to records in the SoftSolutions fields.

     Structured Query Language - A database query and programming
     sublanguage.  SQL is an established set of statements used
     to add, delete, or update information in a table, or request
     information from one or more tables in the form of a report.

     Table - corresponds to files in the SoftSolutions database.

>> Workstation Installation  p. 6 (1-12-94)  p. 3 (5-20-94)

In step 9, change the second bullet to read:

   * The setup program modifies the existing .INI files in the
     Windows directory (ODBC.INI and ODBCINST.INI), so that
     SoftSolutions is a driver in the ODBC Administrator.  (If
     the .INI files do not exist, SoftSolutions will create
     them.)

>> Introduction  p. 9 (5-20-94)

Add the following sentence to the introductory paragraph:

     Using Microsoft's ODBC specification, administrators can use
     SoftSolutions' ODBC driver in conjunction with another
     application (e.g., Visual Basic) to create user applications
     for querying the SoftSolutions database.

>> SoftSolutions Database Tables for ODBC  p. 11 (1-12-94)

Add the following information after the first paragraph (and
before the Modifying the Tables heading):

     The following table represents the conversion of SQL terms
     into SoftSolutions equivalences:

          SQL                 SoftSolutions
          _______________________________________________________

          Table               File
          Columns             Field
          Rows                Record

>> Date and Timestamp Literals  p. 12 (1-12-94)  p. 14 (5-20-94)

In the syntax and example for the DATE literal, the uppercase D
should be in lowercase for it to work.  Likewise, in the syntax
and example for the TIMESTAMP literal, TS should be in
lowercase.

>> PROFILES Table  p. 24 (1-12-94)  p. 27 (5-20-94)

Remove VMS from note number 8.

>> REQUESTS Table  p. 27 (1-12-94)  p. 29 (5-20-94)

Delete the information for this table---the function is no longer
available.
