All connections, schemas, table types and tables are shown using a tree view. You can open a new connection and tables of this connection with a few mouse clicks. You can watch all properties of your opened connections and of the recordsets using bAsk - the "blueshell ADO Survey Kit" included in this program.

Enjoy the magic of connectivity! Exchange tables between your Desktop applications like Word, Excel, Outlook, Frontpage etc., your database files (.mdb, .dbf, .xls, .db etc.) and your client-server databases like Oracle, MS SQL Server etc. Nearly everything that can contain a table can be the source or the destination! Import, Export, Copy, Paste, Drag and Drop as you like!

The blueshell Data Guy uses the atb control from blueshell Active Tables. A runtime version of this great ActiveX control is included.

blueshell Data Guy now has a Table Design window to modify the Data Definition of your tables (modify / delete / add fields). A new useful feature for Access developers is a function called Forward to Access. To make your life easier the Guy now offers a Toolbar and provides a Tips window to display useful tips.

Basic features
The window Connections
The window Connections shows all open databases (connections) along with their tables using a tree view. It may be displayed in one of three modes and it may be switched off. You can use the menu View to switch between the modes.

Tip: You can drag the window Connections while it is in Docked mode to switch to another mode. Dragging outside the main window yields Free mode, dragging inside turns into Fenced mode. Double-clicking Connections' status bar (while in Free or Fenced mode) switches to Docked mode.

Opening a database file
Do you want to see some data? Use the Open command from the File menu and select your database file (.mdb, .xls, .dbf etc.). The Data Guy opens your file and inserts a new connection node (if needed) into the tree view of the window Connections. Now you are ready to open a table from this connection. If your database file holds a single table (like xBase files do) this table is opened immediately otherwise see "Opening a table" below.

Opening a new client/server connection
Do you want to connect to a client/server database like MS SQL Server or Oracle? Use the New ? OLE DB Connection command from the File menu. It opens a dialog box from which you can select the proper OLE DB provider. You may enter your login name and even your password, if you like.

Tip: You may store your connection parameters to a .conn file using the Save as command from the File menu. You may then use this file later with File Open.

Creating a new file database
You want to create a new database (e.g. NewFile.mdb)? Choose File ? New ? File Database and specify the type and the name of your database file.

Opening a table
Expand the connection node by double-clicking on it or by clicking on the "+" sign. You can see the catalogs, schemata (where applicable), table types and tables in the connection tree. You can open a table with a double click on the table node, by using the Table menu or by using the context menu (with a right-click on the table node). If the table is already open, the Open function results in bringing the table's form to the foreground. When you open a table, you may edit (when not read-only) and view its contents.