[RESOLVED] SQL Querying Tools - Recommendations?

[NeedSomeAnswers]

What about just using the Microsoft Query Wizard in Excel ?

It has a similar Query wizard to Access & Sql Server (its just an add-in in excel 2003 & below, included already in 2007). Users could select whatever data they wanted from tables and it will return it directly into Excel.

You could setup a datasource for the user to connect, so you can create a General 'Reports' user or such-like. This will allow you to Control Security through the SQL User account.

The user can potentially write SQL through the Query Wizard, and so could do Updates, but if you lock down the Users rights and only allow data reads it could work.

[FunkyDexter]

Hmm, that's not a bad idea.

I'm troubled that they'd still be able to run updates though. At the moment we allow no direct access to the tables and I'm aware that we're probably going to have to open up table access to support whatever tool we use. As this is something we're not in the habit of doing I can see it being something that someone cocks up at some point so I'd prefer to just lock down updates completely. I suspect that just about any reporting tool would have the functionality to update though (it's kinda a selling point)