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This chapter introduces Rekall, and shows how Rekall accesses tables, forms and reports. The examples in this chapter are drawn from the demonstration Orders database. This is a simple database containing information about clients, products and clients' orders for products.
The sections in this chapter on tables, forms, and so forth, present an overview of their use to manipulate and display data in the server database; Rekall's corresponding design functions are described in the appropriate chapter, and are not covered here.
Rekall itself does not contain a database. Rather, it can access SQL databases such as MySQL and PostgreSQL via drivers. Since Rekall is really intended as a general-purpose front-end to these, it does not handle functions such as database creation and access control (although plugin modules to support specific SQL databases may become available).
Because of this, it is neccessary to set up a database which Rekall can use. The Orders database can be run on MySQL, PostgreSQL and XBase; there are instructions included which describe how to set up the database. If you use the XBase version you do not need access to any shared resources, but to run the MySQL or PostgreSQL versions you will need access to a corresponding server to which you have access.
A few words are needed to avoid confusion over the use of the word database. We will use it in two ways. Firstly, it is used to refer to RDBMSs (Relational Database Management Systems) such as MySQL; the term server database will be used where needed to avoid ambiguity. Secondly, it is used to refer to the thing that a Rekall user will think of as a logically single database; here the term Rekall database will be used. Note that a Rekall database can access more than one server database.
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