Rac v2.x F.A.Q.

1. How long does the evaluation version last?

You have 30 days in which to use the evaluation version.
After 30 days Rac will cease to function.

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2.  Are any features disabled in the evaluation version?

No. It is not limited in any way except for the time period.
You can develope/evaluate using the full range of Rac features.

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3. What is the definition of a Rac license?

Rac consists of the Rac script and the client access tool 
which is the Rac gui. Each license entitles you to install
the Rac script on a single server in a single database.
You can uninstall Rac and reinstall it in another server/database
if you wish. A single Rac license entitles you to 5 CALs.
So in addition to installing the gui on the server you
may install the gui on an additional 5 client machines.
You may purchase additional CALs if you wish. Any attempt to
circumvent these definitions puts the purchaser in violation
of the licensing terms. Such a violation will be immediate
grounds for termination of free support or the termination
of a support contract if one exists.

RAC v2.0 License Discounts:

• If you purchase 3 or more licenses at a single time each
  license will cost 50 USD.

• You can also puchase a site license for 300 USD. A site 
  license entititles you to install RAC on an unlimited
  number of servers and databases at a single location.

• You can also get a discount on multiple site licenses.
  Puchasing 3 or more site licenses at a single time is available
  where each site license is 225 USD.

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4. What can I expect in terms of support?

Upon registering you are entitled to a FREE 30 day unlimited email
support. After that you may choose a variety of support contracts
which includes support on a per incident basis. Support will
be provided by certified Microsoft professionals who are
experts using MS Sql Server. You can be assured of receiving
the highest quality technical expertise. All support implies
subject matter that is related to using Rac. Support relating
to issues beyond the scope of Rac is considered in the area
of consulting about which you may contact us about. You may
also contact us about customizing Rac for your particular
needs. But in no case will Rac support be extended to either
consulting or customization and no support contract covers
either one. Currently, all support is done via e-mail. In the event
other means of support are made available it will be acknowledged
on the site and all registered users will be notified.

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5. What about licenses for both server 7 and server 2000?

If you purchase a license for Rac v2.0 for server 2000 you are
entitled to 1 free license for Rac v1.15 for server 7 should
you have server 7 running in addition to server 2000. You must
make this request by e-mail within 30 days of registrating Rac v2.0.

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6. What procedure should I follow once I have registered?

Uninstall the evaluation version and reinstall Rac using your
key code. Remember that the key code is case sensitive.

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7. I use an alias for my server instance.Can I use it to install Rac?

Yes.
If you have defined an alias using the Client Network Utility to
point to your server\instance you can use the alias when setup
requests your server.

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General questions

 1.  Does Rac run on all server 2000 versions?
 2.  Is there a separate procedure for each task?
 3.  Why should I use Rac when I can probably find a script to do what I want?
 4.  How should I start learning Rac?
 5.  I've been an Access user can I use Rac?
 6.  I don't know sql can I still use Rac?
 7.  Where does Rac fit in the client-server model?
 8.  I can't find what I want to do in Rac.
 9.  What is Rac and what is it written in?
10.  Is a SELECT statement necessary for a Rac execute?
11. Can Rac show me how to write sql?
12. I'm a VB programmer am I going to have a problem with Rac?
13. Can I use Rac with ASP?
14. Can I use Rac with Crystal Reports?
15. Can I summarize each group in a report with detailed summary information?
16. In what ways does Rac for s2k differ from the server 7 version?
17. Why does Rac return all results as character strings?
18. I can I get my result in its native format for subsequent use?
19. I don't understand why the max function is used in so many examples?
20. Do you have plans to improve performance?
21.I think the documentation can be organized better.
22.You should have more examples showing how Rac can be a general problem solving tool.
23. Will simultaneous executes of Rac collide with each other?
24. Will non technical users be able to navigate the Rac gui?
25. I'm getting error when trying to calculate rowfunction average. Why?
26. I'm getting error "Could not find stored procedure Rac". Why?
27. Can I use Rac with ASP.NET?

1. Does Rac run on all server 2000 versions?

Yes.
Rac runs on the server engine (MSDE),the personal version,
the standard and enterprise versions. Rac runs with or without
service paks 1 and 2.

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2.  Is there a separate procedure for each task?

No!
Everything done in Rac operates in a single framework. As you
become more familiar with Rac you will see that you are always
using a basic set of parameters. These parameters include:

@transform
@rows
@pvtcol
@from
@where

Performing different tasks is accomplished by the specific arguments
supplied to these parameters. So whether your doing a crosstab report
or a Grouped By report or splitting strings you are always working
in the same general framework. This makes it easy to learn to work
with Rac options that enhance a result. Adding a Rac counter to a crosstab
is no different than adding a counter to splitting concatenated strings.
With Rac your working in a highly integrated framework where you
can apply the same features in the same format to different tasks.


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3.  Why should I use Rac when I can probably find a script to do what I want?

You may find a script that does exactly what you want.
But you may also find that the script needs modification
to perform your task. You may also find that you need
additional features which could mean adding quite a bit
of complex sql to an already complex script. Rac is a
feature rich utility and adding a particular feature in
Rac is usually just a matter of specifying a parameter
as opposed to adding complex sql coding. As you try to
code more features into a script the complexity just
multiples. With Rac just specify additional parameters.
With Rac you can concentrate on you task and not on the
sql coding.


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4.  How should I start learning Rac?

Review the Rac documentation and pick a particular task
that interests you and start working with the examples
in that section. It really doesn't matter where you start.
As you work your way thru different tasks you will see
that there is a common framework that all tasks operate in.
The Rac documentation contains many examples that cover a
broard range of topics that are covered from a basic level
to more advanced levels.As you become more familar with
with basic examples work your thru more advanced examples
that use optional Rac features. The powerful Rac gui is consistent
with each topic and section so you can use it to generate
the Rac execute statement. If you have questions about a
particular parameter just review it in the parameter listing.
Feel free to experiment! It shouldn't take you long to apply
Rac to your own data. Don't worry if your not an sql guru.
You don't need to be one to take advantage of Rac. 

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5.  I've been an Access user can I use Rac?

Definitely!
Rac initially was named 'Replacement for the Access Crosstab'.
The general framework is very similar to the Access crosstab
query. Within that framework the capabilities of Rac have been
extended to cover a broad range of problem solving. As an Access
user you will be immediately familiar with terms like transform
and pivot. Just as an Access user is accustomed to building a
query in Design View you will be able to build Rac execute
statements with the Rac gui. It is a big jump from Access to
server given the complexity of the server sql language. Rac will
allow you to become productive in a very short time without
you having to climb a steep sql server learning curve.With basic
sql knowledge from the Access environment you can begin using
Rac immediately. With just basic and simple sql statements you
will find you can easily extend Rac to solve more complex problems
and generate reports.As you learn more about the server sql language
(transact sql) you will be able to extend Rac even further.Rac is
an excellent bridge between the two products for new server users.

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6.  I don't know sql can I still use Rac?

Definitely!
Even if you don't know a join from a ping pong 
ball you can still use Rac for solving many problems
and producing reports.As long as you know what a table
is your on your way.Rac has a rich and poweful language
all it own that is easy to use and will allow you to do
all kinds of things.The Rac language is nothing like the
sql language and is much much easier to learn.By using
various combinations of Rac commands you can do things
that would require lots of complex sql coding.By using
the Rac gui you don't even have to write a single command
yourself,the gui will guide you thru whatever you want
to accomplish.The gui has its own grid and you can export
the result in various formats.

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7.  Where does Rac fit in the client-server model?

It fits on the server quite nicely we think:).The basic
question you should be asking is whether or not Rac can
help you.Rac is designed to be a work horse and to work
on a work horse.If the most you want executing on your
server is a basic SELECT statement Rac is not for you.
We wouldn't want you to mix a work horse with a kitty kat.
Evaluate Rac and determine for yourself its feasibility
in your environment.

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8.  I can't find what I want to do in Rac.

While Rac can do a number of specific tasks it can
also be used as a general problem solving tool.This
is covered in the documentation.The more you work
with Rac and become familiar with all its features 
we feel you will come to see its ability to be used
to solve in a simplified manner many data manipulation
problems.Rac is a very flexible utility that can be used
in ways that are not generally documentated in sql
literature to solve problems.While this will take some
experience with the tool we hope you find it's worth it. 

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9. What is Rac and what is it written in?

Rac consists of a number of highly integrated server
stored procedures and functions written in the native
language of server which is called transact-sql. You
interact with these by issuing commands in the form
of parameters and with arguments. If you want to extend
the basic features of Rac you can use transact sql
arguments that Rac will use in conjunction with the
server.

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10.  Is a SELECT statement necessary for  a Rac execute? 

No.
The Rac @select parameter in which you can specify a 
SELECT statement is optional. You can use @select to
define a SELECT statement (or any other statements)
to modify a result. The result that @select operates on
is the result obtained from the execute without the
@select defined. The @select is integrated with the
result in a number of ways to make any statements that
access the result more powerful and easier to write. 

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11. Can Rac show me how to write sql?

No.
Rac is not designed to be a teaching aid. It is an
application aid. It is designed so that parameter
arguments and combination of parameters encapsulate
complicated sql code so you can avoid having to
worry about it and just concentrate on solving your
problem. Rac is not to be confused with all the sql
texts that are available.

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12. I'm a VB programmer am I going to have a problem with Rac?

No.
You execute Rac just like you execute any other stored
procedure. If you use ADO to execute your current procedures
you already have the knowledge to work with Rac. The
Rac gui uses ADO so we know it works:).

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13. Can I use Rac with ASP?

Yes.
It's just like the VB case. If you have used a stored 
procedure before to populate a web page you have the
knowlege to execute Rac and use the virtual resultset.

               View example     View code

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14. Can I use Rac with Crystal Reports?

Yes.
We are going to prepare a tutorial for Crystal users
to clearly show the best way to use the combination.
Please check back with us. If your using a report server
other than Crystal can still use Rac.

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15. Can I summarize each group in a report with detailed summary information?

No.
In its current form Rac does not have all the functionality
of a full blown report writer.You cannot directly get all kinds
of summary information for each group.You can get certain
information within groups such as running sums and percentages.
You can also use conditional logic in a running sum so as to use
a running sum to obtain particular information.

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16. In what ways does Rac for s2k differ from the server 7 version?

Rac v2.0 for s2k is a major rewrite of Rac for server 7.
Rac for s2k has many,many more features and options than
the 7 version.The S2k version allows multiple row terms
where as the 7 version is based on a single row term.None
of the Rac counter types are available in the 7 version.
All the features in v1.15 have either been enhanced and/or
greatly expanded in v2.0.Overall v2.0 covers a much larger
application space than v1.15 which is why we changed the
name.If you have used v1.15 we think you will like its
big brother.

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17. Why does Rac return all results as character strings?

This is to allow Rac to be used as a mini report writer.
Using character strings makes it easy to incorporate a number
of report features easily without any added intervention from
the user.Many users want a result with breaking on row fields
and therefore blanks and other strings mixed with numeric data.
They then want to immediately export the result to various other
packages.Character strings make this very easy to do.

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18. I can I get my result in its native format for subsequent use?

Rac has a number of options to allow you to convert data to its
native format.However you want to save your result you will be
able to it.The features Rac has for data conversion are not only
powerful but are easy to use.You don't need to be an sql guru to
get the data in any format or convert particular data to particular
datatypes.Many Rac features are designed with an eye toward
subsequent manipulation of the data as opposed to a report format.
And many of the features can faciliate both venues.

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19. I don't understand why the max function is used in so many examples?

The basic framework of Rac is rooted in a Group By query.If you want to
return information other than the Group By Expression(s)/field(s) you
have to return the information within an aggregate function.In many of 
the examples there is only a single value associated with the Group By
terms (which in Rac are the row(s) and pivot column).When there is but a
single value you can use any aggregate function in transform since the
same information will be returned no matter which one is used.In this
situation the max function is arbitrarily choosen.In these types of
examples cut and paste the execute statements in Query Analyzer and use
a different aggregate in transform.You will see the result is the same.

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20. Do you have plans to improve performance?

Yes.
Now that Rac contains so many features we are going to
to concentrate on enhancing its performance.This is our
number one priority.So expect to see significant performance
gains in updated versions.But we still have plans for new
features so please don't think you've seen all that we intend
to offer.

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21. I think the documentation can be organized better.

Yes we agree.We will be reworking the documentation so its
easier to navigate and find things.Registered users will be
notified when it's ready.

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22. You should have more examples showing how Rac can be a general problem solving tool.

We will be expanding that section in help with many more
examples.We will notify registered users when we have added
a significant number of new examples.

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23. Will simultaneous executes of Rac collide with each other?

No.
Rac will support simultaneous executes and users will not collide
with each other.All Rac processing is local to each user.The only
issue that could arise is if one user attempts to save a result to
a global temporary or permanent table that already exists.In this
case Rac will raise a message indicating the prior instance of the
table.

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24. Will non technical users be able to navigate the Rac gui?

We certainly hope so.
The Rac gui presupposes only the most basic understanding of a 
relational database system.At its highest level the gui is
broken down into particular screens that correspond to the
individual sections/topics covered in the documentation.This allows
you to view a screen specifically aimed at an individual topic.
All the examples covered in the documentation for a given topic
can be easily run using the its associated screen.You will see
that the gui menu has all the topics listed in the documentation.
The screen for a given topic covers the parameters most relevant 
to the topic.You will find that the tabbed sections on all the
screens are basically the same.The options tab reflects the particular
options (parameters) that relate to the specific topic.The fact
that the tabbed sections are similar from one screen to another
is a reflection of the integrated framework that Rac provides.
Most options in all the screens involve point and click choices.
The aim of the gui is to build the Rac execute statement as easily
as possible.You can even click your way to building joins between
tables.Whenever the columns of a table are relevant they will be
displayed so you can just click on the column(s) you wish to use.
As you become more familar with Rac you can modify the final
execute statement generated and use some of the more advanced
options that require user input.You can always use the master
screen which covers all parameters in Rac to achieve maximum
flexibility in generating the execute statement.Overall we feel
that even the most novice user will benefit from Rac by being able
to use the gui.It is quite easy to use.

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25. I'm getting error when trying to calculate rowfunction average. Why?

"Warning: Null value is eliminated by an aggregate or other SET operation.
Server: Msg 8114, Level 16, State 5, Line 9
Error converting data type varchar to numeric."

There is a problem in Rac for the rowfunction avg when ALL values 
of the transform column are NULL. This has been fixed in Rac v2.00.547.
A hotfix to Racsp;7 stored procedure (Racsp_7) is also available for
download.

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26. I'm getting error "Could not find stored procedure Rac". Why?

Make sure you are accessing the correct SQLServer and database with
the correct authentication.

Please use Rac Gui to verify and change your setting accordingly:



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27. Can I use Rac with ASP.NET?

Yes.
If you have used a stored procedure before to populate 
a web page you have the knowledge to execute Rac and use 
the virtual resultset. Please see the links below for ASP.NET
sample code.

               View example     View code