Business applications you interact with daily organize and store updates, changes, and new information in databases. There are many kinds of databases, but our customers typically use relational databases for label data. Relational databases range from simple file-based storage like Microsoft Access or Microsoft Excel files to more robust high-performance SQL databases.
Loftware software can read data from any kind of database. You only need:
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Database connections (database drivers).
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Database permissions (usernames and passwords).
Our software gives you multiple ways to interact with your database data. You can:
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Use your data as-is.
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Generate custom views to filter data from single tables.
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Merge data from multiple tables into datasets.
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Create visual database views with graphic design tools or SQL statements.
You can use datasets fields as data sources for label and form objects to create dynamic objects. Dynamic objects update the content of labels you print with different items in your datasets.
![[Note]](../Resources/Images/note.png)
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Note |
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We recommend creating single database connections for your label printing solutions and configurations, and not for your individual label templates. |
For simple projects, file databases are often easier to use than professional SQL databases. Perhaps you store product information in Microsoft Access databases or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, or export data from your business systems into file databases. Both are common practices, but be cautious: using file databases may indicate your company does not have a single source of truth for your data.
Loftware Cloud stores your labeling data in your cloud Document Management System (DMS). Your DMS typically stores label templates and images, but your DMS can also store your file databases.
The downside to using file databases is read-only file access. You cannot write data to file databases stored in DMS. To update your databases with new data, you must re-upload your files.
Alternatively, you can configure your labeling solutions to load data from locally available file databases. By storing Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel files in local or network-attached storage, you can access your files in read-write mode and modify files directly from Loftware software.
Loftware Cloud Business (and above) subscriptions come with Microsoft Azure SQL database access. Microsoft SQL databases are hosted in Microsoft Azure environments. Your Loftware Cloud edition determines your database size.
Your Azure SQL database is separate from product databases where Loftware Cloud stores your subscription labeling assets and printing history. You have full Azure SQL user database access and can independently manage your database with Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. Use your Azure SQL database for your own storage needs, including storing product information.
Your company security policies may not grant Loftware direct access to your business system databases, but Loftware can access your Azure SQL database. Our customers often export their business system master data into their Azure SQL databases to make this data available to Loftware software.
Loftware Cloud applications can also access data from other databases if you have the required database drivers installed on your computers running Loftware software. For example, to use LoftwareWeb Printing, install database drivers on your server (if you want your server to initiate database connections) or on your computer (if you want your computer to initiate connections).
Loftware works with any Windows database drivers (like ODBC and OLEDB drivers).
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