# Using ms access 97 as local db backend for rails on windows **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [March 5, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ms-access-97-as-local-db-backend-for-rails-on-windows/87781 "2007-03-05T22:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adrian_Schmitt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ms-access-97-as-local-db-backend-for-rails-on-windows/87781/1 "2007-03-05T22:57:03Z")
Hi, I am on a windows 2000 machine and want to use an ms access 97 database (\*.mdb) as db backend. I did a clean install: ruby, gems, rails, odbc-rails. A test rails application connecting to a local mysql server is doing fine. I can also locally connect to the odbc connection “local\_odbc\_name” with the aqua data studio client. But now with rails. As soon as I change the adapter to odbc webrick won’t start. I added require ‘odbc\_adapter’ to environment.rb like I understood from the documentation of the odbc- rails gem. I changed the development section in database.yml to: development: adapter: odbc database: local\_odbc\_name host: localhost This is the error message I get when I want to start webrick: c:\temp\test1\>ruby script/server =\> Booting WEBrick… c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.2/lib/active\_record/ connection\_ adapters/abstract/connection\_specification.rb:34: uninitialized class variable @@allow\_concurrency in ActiveRecord::Base (NameError) from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb: 27:in `gem_original_require' from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb: 27:in`require’ from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.4.1/lib/ active\_support/dependencies.rb:495:in `require' from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.4.1/lib/ active_support/dependencies.rb:342:in`new\_constants\_in’ from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activesupport-1.4.1/lib/ active\_support/dependencies.rb:495:in `require' from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.2/lib/ active_record/connection_adapters/abstract_adapter.rb:10 from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb: 27:in`gem\_original\_require’ from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb: 27:in `require' ... 27 levels... from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rails-1.2.2/lib/commands/ server.rb:39 from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/site_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom_require.rb: 27:in`gem\_original\_require’ from c:/ruby/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.8/rubygems/custom\_require.rb: 27:in `require’ from script/server:3 c:\temp\test1\> Maybe someone had this before? I don’t have enough understanding of the whole system to deal with it. Adrian ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adrian_Schmitt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ms-access-97-as-local-db-backend-for-rails-on-windows/87781/2 "2007-03-06T04:10:21Z")
Adrian Schmitt wrote: > Hi, > > I am on a windows 2000 machine and want to use an ms access 97 > database (\*.mdb) as db backend. Hey There are no database adaptors for odbc. Please and why would you want to use MS Access while there are more powerful tools like mysql, postgres,SQLite and MS SQL server? please refer to this page for supported adapters: [http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/DatabaseDrivers](http://wiki.rubyonrails.com/rails/pages/DatabaseDrivers) rgds Tanzanite ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adrian_Schmitt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 9:31am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ms-access-97-as-local-db-backend-for-rails-on-windows/87781/3 "2007-03-06T09:31:06Z")
On 06/03/07, Tanzanite T. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Adrian Schmitt wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > I am on a windows 2000 machine and want to use an ms access 97 > > database (\*.mdb) as db backend. > > Hey > There are no database adaptors for odbc. That’s not strictly true, as the SQL Server adapter does allow ODBC connections (set mode to ODBC). I very much doubt it would work with Access though. Tom ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adrian_Schmitt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ms-access-97-as-local-db-backend-for-rails-on-windows/87781/4 "2007-03-06T13:47:46Z")
> There are no database adaptors for odbc. I am a little confused by the above statement. If you look at the Rails ODBC Adapter (Open Link)it has several drivers installed with it (mySQL, PostgreQL, etc). From what I can tell this is supposed to be used with the Ruby ODBC libs (Christian Werners). This combination of code sounds like it is supposed to give ODBC support with the same kind of Adapter behavior as a native db driver and adapter would. Now the bad news…I also cannot get them to run when trying to use ODBC connecting through a mySQL DSN. Here is the project link with all the info [http://odbc-rails.rubyforge.org/](http://odbc-rails.rubyforge.org/) Is my interpretation of operation correct? If so, any Help is greatly appreciated. My cry out for help on this board also: [http://www.ruby-forum.com/topic/100119#new](http://www.ruby-forum.com/topic/100119#new) Thanks, Rick ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adrian_Schmitt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ms-access-97-as-local-db-backend-for-rails-on-windows/87781/5 "2007-03-06T21:32:28Z")
On 6 Mrz., 04:10, Tanzanite T. \ wrote: > There are no database adaptors for odbc. > I am not really sure. > Please and why would you want to use MS Access while there are more > powerful tools like mysql, postgres,SQLite and MS SQL server? It is not the question to “use” this database. It is already there and in use by a number of applications in the environment. The question is if I will be able to construct an additional easy user interface for some of the data in that database with ruby on rails or not. If not I will have to use something else. Of course it is nice to start a new project and choose whatever components you desire but sadly this is not possible in my case. Thanks for the link to db adapters! Cheers Adrian ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adrian_Schmitt)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ms-access-97-as-local-db-backend-for-rails-on-windows/87781/6 "2007-03-06T21:29:28Z")
On 6 Mrz., 13:47, Rick F. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Here is the project link with all the infohttp://odbc-rails.rubyforge.org/ > Thanks, > Rick Thank you Rick, following your link I found great documentation and I believe now that I will also have to install the ODBC Binding for Ruby (http://ch- [werner.de/rubyodbc/](http://werner.de/rubyodbc/)) I will do this as soon as my time permits, maybe it helps. Cheers Adrian ---
**Author:** ![Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Adrian\_Schmitt](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Adrian_Schmitt)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2007, 11:34am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ms-access-97-as-local-db-backend-for-rails-on-windows/87781/7 "2007-03-07T11:34:53Z")
Adrian, Please be aware that the odbc-rails adapter doesn’t currently support MS Access. The adapter isn’t completely generic in that the adapter requires some database-specific information which ODBC cannot provide. Consequently, the adapter contains specific entries for each database currently supported. However, it’s straightforward to modify the adapter to support a new database for which an ODBC driver exists. Alternatively, you could export your Access tables to one of the supported databases. If you were to do this, your database.yml file should contain something similar to: development: adapter: odbc dsn: local\_odbc\_name username: rails\_dev password: rails\_dev emulate\_booleans: true trace: false i.e. dsn refers to a Data Source Name configured with your ODBC Administrator. Regards Carl Blakeley