Note: The content of this TechNote was derived from Appendix E of the Using Dreamweaver UltraDev 4 manual. This appendix, titled "Setting Up a DSN in Windows", can be found on pages 249-250 in the manual as well as in UltraDev 4's on-line help system. A printable version of this appendix is also available for download. All page number references below refer to the Using Dreamweaver UltraDev 4 manual.

This information in this TechNote applies only if your database is located on a system that supports ODBC data source names (DSNs). This includes systems such as Microsoft Windows 2000, but not Macintosh computers.

A DSN is a kind of shortcut you use to establish a database connection (see "Using a DSN in a connection string" on page 232 in the Using Dreamweaver UltraDev 4 manual). Before you can use one in your web application, you must set it up on your local system or remote server.

Before you begin, make sure your system has the proper driver for your database. For a list of ODBC drivers on a Windows 95, 98, or NT system, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel, then double-click the ODBC Data Sources icon. Depending on your system, the icon could also be called ODBC or 32bit ODBC. When you click the Drivers tab, you'll see a list of drivers installed on the system. In Windows 2000, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Data Sources, then click the Drivers tab.

To set up a DSN in Windows:

1. Open Windows' ODBC Data Source Administrator as follows:
   • In Windows 95, 98, or NT, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel, then double-click the ODBC Data Sources icon. Depending on your system, the icon could also be called ODBC or 32bit ODBC.
   • In Windows 2000, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel> Administrative Tools > Data Sources.
   • In the Dreamweaver UltraDev dialog box you use to create a DSN connection, click the Define button.
2. In the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box, click the System DSN tab. The tab displays the list of DSNs currently on your system.
3. Click Add to add a new DSN to the list. The Create New Data Source dialog box appears, listing all the drivers currently loaded on your system.
4. Select a driver from the list, then click Finish. For example, if your database is a Microsoft Access file, select Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb). If a driver for your product does not appear in the list, you'll have to download the driver from a vendor's Web site and install it. For more information, see "Using database drivers to interface with your database" on page 229 in theUsing Dreamweaver UltraDev 4 manual.
5. In the dialog box that appears, enter a name for the DSN and specify the connection parameters. The dialog boxes for specifying parameters differ depending on the driver you selected. For the Microsoft Access Driver, you enter a name, click Select, locate the database file on the hard disk, and click OK.
6. Click OK to close the dialog box. The new DSN is added to your list of system DSNs.

Products affected