One goal of the Hunter Client is to protect the end-user from having any technical knowledge of SQL (structured query language) or the database.
How does the Hunter Client accomplish this goal?
Each Hunter Client application is defined by a data dictionary. This dictionary defines a set of objects that the user can include in their queries. Each object has a supporting definition which covers all of the technical aspects of the database.
So what kind of technical information is the end-user protected from?
- Database server - the data dictionary defines the location of the database server.
- Database type - the data dictionary defines the type of database (Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySql, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Foxpro, etc.).
- Tables - each data dictionary can expose 1 or more tables from the database
- Columns - the data dictionary can expose all the columns of a table or any subset.
- Joins - the data dictionary predefines the join conditions between tables. Inner Join, Left Join and Right Join operations are supported (all without the knowledge of the end-user).
- Data Types - the data dictionary predefines data types for the Hunter Client. The Hunter Client criteria form checks the data type and adapts criteria operations according to data type.
By protecting the end-user from this additional technical knowledge, Hunter Client frees the end-user to focus on getting their data.