dbq differs little from Standard Query Language (SQL) and the user must have command of SQL to use dbq.
Advantages of dbq over SQL are that it is kerberized, thus can be used with the MIPL Database Password Server, and offers the user a choice of output formats not available with SQL.
dbq use is not limited to access of MIPL databases. dbq can be used to interface with any Sybase database the user has access to (an account) and is listed in their Sybase interfaces file. Use of the MIPL Database Password Server however is restricted to MIPL databases as we do not maintain Sybase passwords on other institutions' Sybase Servers.
dbView is an interface wrapped around Standard Query Language ( SQL) with it's own macro, reporting, formatting, and variable features.
dbView can be used to access any Sybase database the user has access to; not limited to only MIPL databases. Batch mode, which makes use of the MIPL Database Password Server, however is restricted to MIPL database access as we do not maintain Sybase passwords on other institutions' Sybase Servers.
dbWindows is one of the application provided to query the GLL and Voyager databases. It is basically a GUI dbView interface, providing many but not all, dbView capabilities in GUI style.
Users of dbWindows are not limited to accessing only MIPS databases. dbWindows can be used to interface with any SQL Server the user has access to (an account) and is listed in their Sybase interfaces file. Use of the MIPS Password Server however is restricted to MIPS databases as we do not have access to Sybase passwords on other institutions' SQL Servers.