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How to connect Microsoft Sql server from R studio using freeTDS instead of RODBC package

Manu,

Read the first paragraph under section "1 ODBC Concepts" of https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/RODBC/vignettes/RODBC.pdf. This describes the relationship among the various parts of the technical stack that allows connectivity to the database system via ODBC. One of the points made is that RODBC uses an ODBC driver (e.g., Actual Technologies, Easysoft and OpenLink).

I use the driver from Actual Technologies on Mac OS, but many others have used freeTDS. I had trouble with freeTDS years ago and decided my time was worth the minor cost of using the commercial product from Actual Technologies.

The driver you use is computer OS specific while RODBC is not.

It is also convenient to use an ODBC manager, which is typically a graphical application used to create and manage the configuration files used by the ODBC driver.

Mark

R. Mark Sharp, Ph.D.
Director of Primate Records Database
Southwest National Primate Research Center
Texas Biomedical Research Institute
P.O. Box 760549
San Antonio, TX 78245-0549
Telephone: (210)258-9476
e-mail: msharp at TxBiomed.org
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