BasicQuery is a Java-based application used to access databases through JDBC. It features a Swing-based GUI and includes capabilities useful to developers when testing SQL statements against a database. It also produces timing information, which is valuable during tuning exercises. Development on BasicQuery began in early 2003 and it has been used on various projects since then.

We have leveraged BasicQuery in diverse situations which involved debugging, testing, and performance tuning. Key features of the application include easy access to each SQL statement entered; ability to save sets of SQL statements in separate files; support for parameterized statements; a provision for multiple return values; execution of sets of statements; storage of each connect URL used; and exporting of results, both data output and timing details, to a CSV file. Given its Java heritage, BasicQuery has been used successfully on multiple platforms.

BasicQuery can use any JDBC-compliant driver. The list of drivers to be loaded is stored in a parameter file. The driver packages themselves are loaded dynamically at startup from a user-configurable location. We regularly access MySQL, Oracle, and Sybase databases. The Apache Jakarta Commons Pool Library can be used, allowing timing tests to reflect the impact of pooled versus non-pooled connections.

On the source code side many changes continue to be made. With the 01.02 production release out, the next set of betas will be focused on the following feature set:

Priority	In Beta Release	Functionality
HIGH	01.03.01	Allowing multiple SQL statements to be pasted/imported at once
HIGH		Storing SQL with embedded CRs (to allow stored proc definitions, etc)
HIGH	01.03.00	Control of Font Family and Font Size
MED		User Documentation
MED		XML support, bi-directional
MED		Reverse-engineering table-create scripts
MED	01.03.00	Move configuration files to sub-directory of user's home
LOW		Add GUI coverage to unit testing
LOW		Help System integration
LOW		User controlled pooling settings (perhaps using JOCL file?)

We invite other developers to join our project and help advance this tool. Two major areas that need focus are the multi-lingual support and user documentation. The translations would benefit greatly from native speakers editing the terms. An individual interested in creating documentation would be invaluable since we know the operation of the tool too well.