The answer to your question will 'depend', but the short answer to the question is that it can definitely be done.
The SQL involved can be associated directly with the screen if you like, or can be executed as a background task, depending on the overall application design requirements.
If the data can be displayed in a table format you may be able to make use of a grid object. Using a grid object you can display any amount of tabular data without consuming a large number of Indusoft tags.
If you are new to Indusoft you should first create a very simple project which simply accesses the database to retrieve and display some basic data. There is good assistance on how to do this within the Technical Reference (Help) and on the Indusoft website. The following link covers setting up an SQL Server ODBC connection, although it may be a bit out-of-date.
Hey Greg, is there a database server you recommend for a HMI application, thinking about something simple that's preferably in the cheap or free category and will facilitate remote interrogation over a VPN cinnection.
Just a quick response, but I can provide much more detail if you need. I can only really recommend the database I'm currently using and have been for many many years, which is the Ingres DBMS.
However, I understand that the free version of Microsoft SQL Server is a very popular choice ... and Postgres could also be worth considering. I'm sure there are others.
Our business was previously a long time user of the commercial Ingres product, but a free Open Source version has now been available for several years. It is available for Windows and Linux, and has a suite of tools which can be very useful if you're looking for something more than just a database back end.
Standard configuration is straight forward, with GUI installers for Windows and Linux. I tend to use Ingres installed on SUSE Linux (SLES) as a database server backend for my applications. Indusoft talks to it via ODBC without any problems. The Ingres forum is also excellent if you do have any issues.
This is the link to download the product if you're interested:
Select: Product: Community Projects Release: Ingres Database Platform: Whichever you prefer
Although Ingres is quite powerful, it isn't difficult to use. I use it for projects of all sizes. If you are interested in using Ingres, I would be glad to help with any advice you may need.
