Starting Interactive SQL

The menu item Open Interactive SQL opens a connection to a server. However, when you select the menu item for a server, Interactive SQL opens a connection to the default database for that server. When you select a specific database from the Open Interactive SQL menu, Interactive SQL opens to the selected database.

How you start Interactive SQL from the command line depends on your operating system.

If you start Interactive SQL independently, the Connect dialog appears, which lets you connect to a database just as you would in SQL Central.

(UNIX) You need not install Interactive SQL under $SYBASE, as $SYBASE does not even need to exist for them to start. Instead, Interactive SQL is installed under $SYBROOT, an environment variable set by the installer. Go to $SYBROOT and enter:
```
dbisql
```
(Windows) Change to the %SYBROOT directory and enter:
```
dbisql.bat
```
In the Connection dialog, enter the information to connect to a database in the Connect dialog box and click OK.

To open a new Interactive SQL window:

Choose Window > New Window. The Connect dialog appears.
In the Connect dialog, enter connection options, and click OK to connect.

The connection information (including the database name, your user ID, and the database server) appears on the title bar above the SQL Statements pane.

You can also connect to or disconnect from a database with the Connect and Disconnect commands in the SQL menu, or by executing a connect or disconnect statement in the SQL Statements pane.