RagTime Connect

RagTime Connect is an ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) database connection for RagTime. With RagTime Connect, it is possible for RagTime documents to dynamically access the contents of relational databases via ODBC and thus generate, without additional effort, serial printouts (mail merge), reports, analyses, statistics and catalogs with structured contents.

SQL and ODBC

A knowledge of SQL suffices to create database queries using the standard SQL statements. On a Windows or Mac system, RagTime Connect simply uses the existing infrastructure consisting of the ODBC driver and a database that supports ODBC. The database and network environment need not be modified.

Data types

Besides the usual data types (“text”, “numbers” and “date”), RagTime Connect also supports the use of BLOBs (Binary Large Objects), which can be read from a database and used in RagTime. These BLOBs may contain any data type that can be imported into RagTime, e.g. pictures (TIFF, BMP, WMF, EMF, EPS, PICT, JPEG, …), text (Word, Windows, Mac OS, Unicode) or table formats (Excel, SYLK).

Database queries

The database query is edited in a clearly structured window and can be extended with formulas and by using “drag & drop”. Completed queries can be saved and reused in RagTime forms whenever desired. In this manner, you can automate recurring procedures and keep important business documents up-to-date by drawing upon the data in databases. Database queries may use formulas with references to spreadsheets. Hence the query can be constructed on-the-fly, on the basis of the user input.

References

Data returned by the database can be used in RagTime formulas in much the same way as references to spreadsheet cells or ranges. Simply use them in text, set up a table showing larger sets of data, or create a chart from them.

Print and publish

Catalogs with structured content can be created easily using the extensive layout capability of RagTime and RagTime Connect and e.g. can be output on a laser printer, in a color-separated offset print or as a PDF. RagTime Connect gives you access to the current data and thus shortens work routines.