From: Graham Foster <graham@...>
Date: 2004-10-15T03:34:30+09:00
Subject: Nubie: How to start?

I need to write a SQL report agent. Very simple.

-) Run various administrative SQL queries against different
databases

-) Run as a scheduled job, (under Windows AT command I guess) so they
will be automatically refreshed every 8 hours / day / week (or
whatever frequency it needs doing)

- Output would be a textual "report" from the SELECT recordset dump,
do a defined filepath

and/or

- e-mail (to me) saying all is still well (or not) optionally
including the report

I need to be able to add new scripts easily, and I can have a
dedicated machine running it if necessary (although I'd like a
service.. if this is possible?)

If this config doesn't work, then stand-alone EXE's would also suit
me. I'm assuming that this would be all entirely command line driven
with parameter files (or something).

I was about to reach for Perl (as I've done something similar there
before), but I think I'd like to try Ruby, anyone give me a start
here?

-- 
Best regards,
 Graham