How do I connect to a MSSQL database using Perl's DBI module in Windows?

Question

How do I connect to a MSSQL database using Perl's DBI module in Windows?

Answer 1

Couldn't find this anywhere reliable. Use Perl code similar to

use DBI;
my $dbs = "dbi:ODBC:DRIVER={SQL Server};SERVER={ServerName}";
my ($username, $password) = ('username', 'password');

my $dbh = DBI->connect($dbs, $username, $password);

if (defined($dbh))
{
    #write code here
    $dbh->disconnect;
}
else
{
    print "Error connecting to database: Error $DBI::err - $DBI::errstr\n";
}

Answer 2

Use DBD::ODBC. If you just create a data source with the Control Panel -> System Management -> ODBC Data Sources -> System Data Source or User Data Source (those are the names as I remember them, but my XP isn't in English, so I can't check), then all you have to do is use the name of that data source in the DBI connect string.

my $dbh = DBI->connect("dbi:ODBC:$dsn", $user, $pwd, \%attr);

The difference between User and System data source is that the latter is usable by any user.

See also: HOW TO: Create a System Data Source Name in Windows XP

Answer 3

Checking Perlmonks, I see the suggestion to actually use the Sybase DBI driver for connecting to MS SQL. Which makes sense, given that MS SQL has its origins in the Sybase code. ODBC works, too, of course.