Connecting to a remote Oracle database

im not sure if this helps but its worth a look

Have you ever needed to view a database on a computer without Access? Here's an alternative. It uses ADO 2.1 to open, view & edit Access, SQL server, DSN and Oracle databases. There are also a few features to let you add, rename and delete tables as well as purge based on a Date/Time field. Clearly not a replacement for Access, but you can distribute it to help troubleshoot. Automatically registers itself as the default database viewer for .mdb files on systems without a default already set. Otherwise, it becomes a second option when right-clicking. Its Biggest advantage is its all ADO. No DAO at all. Now you're able to modify older versions of Access databases when Access itself requires a conversion!! I recommend distributing MDAC 2.5 even if you have a 2.1 application. Microsoft seems to have fixed some of the install problems with the MDAC 2.1.


http://www.planetsourcecode.com/xq/ASP/txtCodeId.6584/lngWId.1/qx/vb/scripts/ShowCode.htm

cheers
Andy

thuannc

Thanks for responding, it didn't work.  Here is some info that might help

I have Windows 98
I have Oracle for Windows 95.
I have edited the file tnsnames.ora.
My internet service provider is AOL and I have it running when I try to connect.
I can connect via telnet.
I can connect via SQL 3.3
I put the code you sent me in form load.
The error message I got when I tried to run my project was
   ora-12154 TNS could not resolve service name.

Any ideas?

Neva

Maybe the simplest way is through ODBC?
An ODBC-form ships with VB6.0 Enterprise Edition (I don't know about other Editions)
It's quite easy. (I made connections to MsSQL, MySQL, Acces (local) through ODBC)

You'll only have to install the Oracle ODBC driver and for the rest ... use the ADO/DAO/RDO-connection to pass the SQL-queries)

Here you find the form: (I hope Micro$oft won't sue me for this) :-)
Just copy and past in Notepad and save it as frmODBCLogon. (It's for VB6 but will probably work for VB5 as well)

VERSION 5.00
Begin VB.Form frmODBCLogon
   BorderStyle     =   3  'Fixed Dialog
   Caption         =   "ODBC Logon"
   ClientHeight    =   3180
   ClientLeft      =   2850
   ClientTop       =   1755
   ClientWidth     =   4470
   ControlBox      =   0   'False
   Icon            =   "frmODBCLogon.frx":0000
   LinkTopic       =   "Form1"
   MaxButton       =   0   'False
   MinButton       =   0   'False
   ScaleHeight     =   3180
   ScaleWidth      =   4470
   ShowInTaskbar   =   0   'False
   StartUpPosition =   2  'CenterScreen
   Begin VB.CommandButton cmdCancel
      Cancel          =   -1  'True
      Caption         =   "Cancel"
      Height          =   450
      Left            =   2520
      TabIndex        =   13
      Top             =   2655
      Width           =   1440
   End
   Begin VB.CommandButton cmdOK
      Caption         =   "&OK"
      Height          =   450
      Left            =   915
      TabIndex        =   12
      Top             =   2655
      Width           =   1440
   End
   Begin VB.Frame fraStep3
      Caption         =   "Connection Values"
      Height          =   2415
      Index           =   0
      Left            =   120
      TabIndex        =   14
      Top             =   120
      Width           =   4230
      Begin VB.TextBox txtUID
         Height          =   300
         Left            =   1125
         TabIndex        =   3
         Top             =   600
         Width           =   3015
      End
      Begin VB.TextBox txtPWD
         Height          =   300
         Left            =   1125
         TabIndex        =   5
         Top             =   930
         Width           =   3015
      End
      Begin VB.TextBox txtDatabase
         Height          =   300
         Left            =   1125
         TabIndex        =   7
         Top             =   1260
         Width           =   3015
      End
      Begin VB.ComboBox cboDSNList
         Height          =   315
         ItemData        =   "frmODBCLogon.frx":000C
         Left            =   1125
         List            =   "frmODBCLogon.frx":000E
         Sorted          =   -1  'True
         Style           =   2  'Dropdown List
         TabIndex        =   1
         Top             =   240
         Width           =   3000
      End
      Begin VB.TextBox txtServer
         Enabled         =   0   'False
         Height          =   330
         Left            =   1125
         TabIndex        =   11
         Top             =   1935
         Width           =   3015
      End
      Begin VB.ComboBox cboDrivers
         Enabled         =   0   'False
         Height          =   315
         Left            =   1125
         Sorted          =   -1  'True
         Style           =   2  'Dropdown List
         TabIndex        =   9
         Top             =   1590
         Width           =   3015
      End
      Begin VB.Label lblStep3
         AutoSize        =   -1  'True
         Caption         =   "&DSN:"
         Height          =   195
         Index           =   1
         Left            =   135
         TabIndex        =   0
         Top             =   285
         Width           =   390
      End
      Begin VB.Label lblStep3
         AutoSize        =   -1  'True
         Caption         =   "&UID:"
         Height          =   195
         Index           =   2
         Left            =   135
         TabIndex        =   2
         Top             =   630
         Width           =   330
      End
      Begin VB.Label lblStep3
         AutoSize        =   -1  'True
         Caption         =   "&Password:"
         Height          =   195
         Index           =   3
         Left            =   135
         TabIndex        =   4
         Top             =   975
         Width           =   735
      End
      Begin VB.Label lblStep3
         AutoSize        =   -1  'True
         Caption         =   "Data&base:"
         Height          =   195
         Index           =   4
         Left            =   135
         TabIndex        =   6
         Top             =   1320
         Width           =   735
      End
      Begin VB.Label lblStep3
         AutoSize        =   -1  'True
         Caption         =   "Dri&ver:"
         Height          =   195
         Index           =   5
         Left            =   135
         TabIndex        =   8
         Top             =   1665
         Width           =   465
      End
      Begin VB.Label lblStep3
         AutoSize        =   -1  'True
         Caption         =   "&Server:"
         Height          =   195
         Index           =   6
         Left            =   135
         TabIndex        =   10
         Top             =   2010
         Width           =   510
      End
   End
End
Attribute VB_Name = "frmODBCLogon"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = False
Option Explicit
Private Declare Function SQLDataSources Lib "ODBC32.DLL" (ByVal henv&, ByVal fDirection%, ByVal szDSN$, ByVal cbDSNMax%, pcbDSN%, ByVal szDescription$, ByVal cbDescriptionMax%, pcbDescription%) As Integer
Private Declare Function SQLAllocEnv% Lib "ODBC32.DLL" (env&)
Const SQL_SUCCESS As Long = 0
Const SQL_FETCH_NEXT As Long = 1


Private Sub cmdCancel_Click()
    Unload Me
End Sub

Private Sub cmdOK_Click()
    Dim sConnect    As String
    Dim sADOConnect As String
    Dim sDAOConnect As String
    Dim sDSN        As String
   
    If cboDSNList.ListIndex > 0 Then
        sDSN = "DSN=" & cboDSNList.Text & ";"
    Else
        sConnect = sConnect & "Driver=" & cboDrivers.Text & ";"
        sConnect = sConnect & "Server=" & txtServer.Text & ";"
    End If
   
    sConnect = sConnect & "UID=" & txtUID.Text & ";"
    sConnect = sConnect & "PWD=" & txtPWD.Text & ";"
   
    If Len(txtDatabase.Text) > 0 Then
        sConnect = sConnect & "Database=" & txtDatabase.Text & ";"
    End If
   
    sADOConnect = "PROVIDER=MSDASQL;" & sDSN & sConnect
    sDAOConnect = "ODBC;" & sDSN & sConnect
   
    MsgBox _
    "To open an ADO Connection, use:" & vbCrLf & _
    "Set gConnection = New Connection" & vbCrLf & _
    "gConnection.Open """ & sADOConnect & """" & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & _
    "To open a DAO database object, use:" & vbCrLf & _
    "Set gDatabase = OpenDatabase(vbNullString, 0, 0, sDAOConnect)" & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & _
    "Or to open an RDO Connection, use:" & vbCrLf & _
    "Set gRDOConnection = rdoEnvironments(0).OpenConnection(sDSN, rdDriverNoPrompt, 0, sConnect)"
   
    'ADO:
    'Set gConnection = New Connection
    'gConnection.Open sADOConnect
    'DAO:
    'Set gDatabase = OpenDatabase(vbNullString, 0, 0, sDAOConnect)
    'RDO:
    'Set gRDOConnection = rdoEnvironments(0).OpenConnection(sDSN, rdDriverNoPrompt, 0, sConnect)
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
    GetDSNsAndDrivers
End Sub

Private Sub cboDSNList_Click()
    On Error Resume Next
    If cboDSNList.Text = "(None)" Then
        txtServer.Enabled = True
        cboDrivers.Enabled = True
    Else
        txtServer.Enabled = False
        cboDrivers.Enabled = False
    End If
End Sub

Sub GetDSNsAndDrivers()
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim sDSNItem As String * 1024
    Dim sDRVItem As String * 1024
    Dim sDSN As String
    Dim sDRV As String
    Dim iDSNLen As Integer
    Dim iDRVLen As Integer
    Dim lHenv As Long         'handle to the environment

    On Error Resume Next
    cboDSNList.AddItem "(None)"

    'get the DSNs
    If SQLAllocEnv(lHenv) <> -1 Then
        Do Until i <> SQL_SUCCESS
            sDSNItem = Space$(1024)
            sDRVItem = Space$(1024)
            i = SQLDataSources(lHenv, SQL_FETCH_NEXT, sDSNItem, 1024, iDSNLen, sDRVItem, 1024, iDRVLen)
            sDSN = Left$(sDSNItem, iDSNLen)
            sDRV = Left$(sDRVItem, iDRVLen)
               
            If sDSN <> Space(iDSNLen) Then
                cboDSNList.AddItem sDSN
                cboDrivers.AddItem sDRV
            End If
        Loop
    End If
    'remove the dupes
    If cboDSNList.ListCount > 0 Then
        With cboDrivers
            If .ListCount > 1 Then
                i = 0
                While i < .ListCount
                    If .List(i) = .List(i + 1) Then
                        .RemoveItem (i)
                    Else
                        i = i + 1
                    End If
                Wend
            End If
        End With
    End If
    cboDSNList.ListIndex = 0
End Sub

Save as frmODBCLogon.frm (sorry)
And then you can use it as a regular form