What is DSEdit utility in Sybase ASE and how to use it?

DSEdit or dsedit.exe - It is a program provided by Sybase Inc (now a SAP company) by which we can add new server entries. The dsedit program with the help of a configuration file also called the interface file makes entries in a 'sql.ini' file located in the "Sybase ASE" install directory.

Here is the screenshot of the dsedit utility on Windows machine -

Please click on the image to enlarge.

Sybase install directory can be found by $SYBASE in unix enviornment else it is usually present in C drive of your computer in case of Windows enviornment. The path for sql.ini in case of Windows is -

C:\Sybase\ini

The 'sql.ini' file is the main file that the Sybase client/server looks into for different server's socket information. A socket is basically a combination of ip address and a port number. A Sybase server would be listening for connections over a specified port number.

A sample sql.ini will look like this -

[NEOLAPTOP]
master=NLWNSCK,Neo-Laptop,5000
query=NLWNSCK,Neo-Laptop,5000

In the above sql.ini entry NEOLAPTOP is the name that we have to specify for connecting to the Sybase server and our Sybase server is intelligent enough to pickup the relevant socket information along with the driver information from the remaining entry.

In the above sql.ini entries - NLWNSCK is the driver, Neo-Laptop is the server name by which it is recognised on the network (this can be replaced with the ip information of the server or an appropriate URL for the same) and finally 5000 is the port information. Usually the usage of dsedit is encouraged as dsedit provides an easy to use interface along with facilities like Testing the connection to the server and also because dsedit provides the database developer/user all the relevant drivers with which they can connect to the Sybase server.

Well thats all for now and I hope the next time someone ask's you about server connection information you know where to find the same.