[es]
DB2 is one of the database managers of IBM, whom has already been several years in the market. In addition, it has been the precursor of many new technologies. At the time of the application creation, the version 9.7 has been released, with new features. (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/DB2)
The database manager has already much functionality; many of them can be used from a Graphical environment (GUI) and Command Line (CLI), others only in a Graphical environment and finally, others only in Command Line.
Then, in order to use this database, like a database administrator, like a developer or, like a normal user, it is necessary to know what do you want to do, and how do you want to do. In a Graphical environment, the how to use a functionality is easy, because the interface helps the user to do the operation, showing graphics, messages, wizards, etc. In the other hand, in the Command Line, the user has to know how to do what he wants to do.
The Command Line has been always existed in the computers, and thanks to this environment, many system operations (sysadm) or database operations are done.
The Command Line normally is a black screen, with a prompt that permits to write commands, and to show the result generated by the computer of their execution.
The commands are a series of words, characters, numbers, or signs, that depending on the order how they are written, they will have a meaning for the computer. This is what is known as the grammar of a command. It is responsibility of the user to type the commands in an adequate way in order to be interpreted and processed by the computer (to write the parameters of a program.)
With the huge quantity of available functionalities in DB2, and with the continued addition in each new version, to know the grammar of all the commands becomes difficult. Several times, the addition of new functionalities is simply the addition of a new parameter in a command. However, in other cases, the command use is changed completely, and it is necessary to know how the new structure is. This is because to be updated with the grammar of commands is a hard work, than can become something impossible, taking in account the quantity of commands that this database manager offers and, the quantity of available versions, with different functionalities in each of them.
The Command Line user can work according to one of the next ways:
db2 ? create table
For example, to ask for help about the command create table.
The problem arises when a user knows what he has to do, but he does not know very well the grammar of the command to execute. Then, he has to analyze the documentation of the command to know how can do what he has to do. In several cases, this is done trying many times until he gets a right grammar for the command, and then he sees if the command that he executed did what he wanted to do.
Some commands have a complex grammar, because they can accept many parameters, and to understand this structure can be time consuming. Moreover, this spent of time can be unnecessary if the user had assistance, like the existing one in the Graphical environment.
Another criterion to know, as I already said, the user can use the "Information Center", but that implies to have access to a Graphical Interface, with a Web browser and to have access to this portal (that can be installed locally, or accessed vie Internet.) All this conditions are not always available, and then, the grammar analyzes becomes more complicated.
In addition, new DB2 users, who do not know the grammar of the commands, can expend a lot of time reading the documentation. This part is very exhausting, and it can discourage many users before they begin to work. Currently, there are many new users thanks to the available version for the community, DB2 Express-C, and those users have many questions about how to use the DB2 commands.
Concluding, the problem that we are facing is:
The user knows What he wants do to, but he does not know How to do that; and in order to understand the How to do, the user spends Time.
This application works like a syntax assistant for DB2 commands that works in Command Line. The application shows the possible parameters or options, while the user types a command.
In order to know the operation of the application, please go to section description.
The scope that was given at the time of the application conception, plus some ideas that have came up, is:
Out of the initial scope of the application, there are other ideas of possible extension, but now they are just ideas.
en
es