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Using HyperSQL (HSQLDB)

HSQLDB is a portable RDBMS implemented in pure java. It can be embedded with your application as well as can be used separately. It is very a small database that supports almost all features of the standard database system. It comes with small jar file that can be found in lib folder.

The HSQLDB jar package is located in the /lib directory of the ZIP package and contains several components and programs. Core components of jar file are : HyperSQL RDBMS Engine (HSQLDB), HyperSQL JDBC Driver, Database Manager, and Sql Tool.

Installing and Using
Download: download latest release of HyperSQL database from http://hsqldb.org website and extract it. You will see following contents.

Here "bin" directory contains some batch files those can be used to run a swing based GUI tool. You can use runManagerSwing.bat to connect to database, but database must be on before running it.

Directory lib contains File hsqldb.jar . It is the database to be used by you.

Running database
First of all, java must be in the path of your command prompt before doing anything. If it is not in command prompt, execute following command into command prompt

hsqldb>set path=%path%;D://program files/java/jdk1.6.0_13/bin

Now check whether java in the path or not. Just execute javac command and wait. If path has been set to java, then it will display some textual output showing command options.

Now prepare a file named server.properties and place it in hsqldb directory with following contents.



Now execute following command on command prompt

hsqldb>java -classpath lib/hsqldb.jar org.hsqldb.server.Server

As above command executes you will see some output and a new directory will be created into current path with named hsqldb in which you will find following contents

Once you created database then you have to run the command same way as before with some extra arguments to connect with existing database e.g.

hsqldb>java -classpath lib/hsqldb.jar org.hsqldb.server.Server --database.0 file:hsqldb/hemrajdb --dbname.0 testdb

And you will see console output as below

This command will start database server and then you need to run runManagerSwing.bat file from bin directory. Before start you have to enter some connection configurations and then press ok button to connect to the graphical user interface to database.

After connecting to your database, you can create tables using SQL statement and insert data into table. To view data from the table just execute select SQL statement for that table. You will get something like below.





See also :

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Comments

Anonymous said…
good example
August 10, 2010 at 5:23 PM
Anonymous said…
English in the post requires a bit of polish, not exactly tutorial style.
Though I was able to understand the steps but still it would be better if it is refined a little bit.

Thanks a Lot for this Post.
January 10, 2011 at 7:42 PM
Unknown said…
Hi,

I would like to know how to connect a hsqldb emebbed into a web .war app in file mode.

Can you help please ?

Thanks
February 7, 2011 at 10:34 PM
Hemraj said…
You can use HsqlDb into any java application without any external exposure. Here is an example using the HSQLDB in the web application. http://www.programmingforfuture.com/2011/02/in-process-mode-of-hsqldb-in-web.html.

Thanks
February 15, 2011 at 9:49 PM
Anonymous said…
it is a good "Getting started guide for Hsqldb"

Thanks
February 17, 2011 at 7:18 AM
Anonymous said…
thanks, its easy & clear to understand
May 16, 2011 at 9:21 PM
Anonymous said…
You would think a company like this would ensure their web site included proper english grammar...How hard is it to have someone proof read before publishing?
June 20, 2011 at 11:53 PM
Hemraj said…
Thank for suggestion. It is not a company website, I am individual and I will try to correct any English grammar.
June 21, 2011 at 7:43 AM
mee said…
simple and useful, thanks!
December 5, 2011 at 6:32 PM
Mike said…
I think I am highly confused.

Is there something in the samples directory that loads this schema?

Did you accidentally delete this step in the entry during some edit?

You start the database twice and magically there is a defined testdb schema.

Magic. Please explain.
February 29, 2012 at 7:34 AM
Anonymous said…
Followed the instructions in tutorial, but not seeing the database in runManagerSwing. Instead all I see is Properties folder. Can you help
July 27, 2012 at 1:06 AM
Paul Broekhof said…
Great stuff! I only tripped when I tried to execute the command "java -classpath lib/hsqldb.jar org.hsqldb.server.Server --database.0 file:hsqldb/hemrajdb --dbname.0 testdb". Since I still had a cmd line open from the previous command, I got an error message stating that the port was already in use. So I killed the DOS box in which the previous command was still active and could proceed without a problem.

Thanks for making this available. It was a great help.
August 23, 2012 at 12:09 PM
snaulus said…
The example does not work with version 1.8 of HSQLDB. Do you have any instructions for that version perhaps?

Thanks!
August 23, 2012 at 4:36 PM
Anonymous said…
Hi,
Thank you for simple and nicely explained article. It certainly helped a lot.
-ShekharL
March 2, 2013 at 2:45 PM
Anonymous said…
It was redundant to use those extra arguments on the command line and a properties file with the same contents.
March 8, 2015 at 7:55 PM
Bosch Jobsite Table Saw said…
Nice blog and very helpful information thanks.
May 4, 2019 at 3:39 PM
Rafinhaa said…
Hi, have one exemple for linux users?
February 13, 2020 at 7:19 AM
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