Sql Loader
The Sql Loader tool allows users to connect to existing databases and query/retrieve HL7 messages directly from a database by writing SQL select statements. The SQL Loader is able to automatically detect which column contains the message data, and pipes this data to the Message Editor window.
Query Window
The Query Window is much like any traditional query window where you write SQL statements against a database. In the example below, we are querying a table (actually a view) called MessageBucket for all messages greater than a specific date. After hitting the "Execute" button, the results of the query are displayed in the grid below. The difference is that if an HL7 message is detected in the returned result set, these messages are extracted and displayed in the Message Editor window.
Once the messages have been retrieved from the database, they can be operated on in the same manner that files are. For example, they can be sorted, statistics calculated on fields, sent out via HL7 MLLP, etc.
Database Connection Settings
To connect to a database you will need to add a configuration entry with the pertinent settings for the type of database that you are connecting to.