CyDAS Installation Guide

Get the CyDAS application

The CyDAS application is available in archived form from the Download section. Download the file to a temporary location and unzip it to a directory of your choice; we suggest to use "C:\Program Files\CyDAS".

Then, open that directory in the Windows Explorer and double-click the file "Register.bat". This will register all CyDAS dll and put all CyDAS executables into the Global Assemby Cache.

There is no need to register the dlls, if you do not plan to use CyDAS libraries in your own programs (e.g. VBA scripts in MS Access).

In any case, make sure that all CyDAS users have sufficient access rights to the files in the CyDAS directory and localizer subdirectory. Strange error messages when starting the application may occur if the user cannot read the localizer files. If a windows standard icon is displayed for the CyDAS.exe file or a link to it, this is an indication of insufficient rights.

Get a Database Engine

CyDAS stores data in a database of your choice. Database queries were held as generic as possible with the aim to enable you to use your favorite database engine. It has been tested with: For performance reasons, the MySQL database engine is recommended. MS Access is very slow, but workable and very easy to setup.

If you do not need to store data in CyDAS, e.g. if you want to analyse single ISCN formulae or draw ideograms of derivative chromosomes only, you do not need to set up a database.

The CyDAS.ini file (located in the installation directory) by default is set to the use of CyDAS without a database:.

In the section "[Database]", the following lines are uncommented by default:
"Engine=NONE", and the line immediately beneath it
"ConnectString=NONE"
The can be commented out by adding a semicolon (";") at the beginning of each line.

Nonetheless, the Microsoft ODBC .Net Data Provider (see below) must be installed on your computer.

Microsoft Access

A Microsoft Access database with the appropriate data structure is included in the CyDAS package. Its name is "CyDAS.mdb" and it is extracted into the same directory as is the rest of the CyDAS package.

CyDAS was tested with Microsoft Office 2000 Premium version 9.00.2816; later or earlier versions were not tested.

To make this Access DB your database, edit the CyDAS.ini file (located in the installation directory) with a common text editor.

In the section "[Database]" uncomment the lines
"Engine=Access" and the line immediately beneath it
by removing the starting semicolon (";").

In the line starting with "ConnectString", edit the following parameters:

and then save the ini file.

Make sure that the user named in the ini file has full access rights to the database, including: INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATETABLE, and DROPTABLE. Of course, the user must have write privileges on the CyDAS.mdb file.

Microsoft SQL Server

CyDAS was tested with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 version 8.00.194; later or earlier versions were not tested.

In the section "[Database]" uncomment the lines
"Engine=MSSQL" and the line immediately beneath it
by removing the starting semicolon (";").

Setup the database contents similar to the procedure described in the MySQL section (specific description will be added later)

MySQL

The MySQL database engine is available from MySQL AB.
Point your web browser to http://dev.mysql.com/. From the "Download & Documentation" section, get a current version of the MySQL Database Server and the ODBC connector MySQL Connector/ODBC.
Follow the installation instructions of these items.
The MySQL database and ODBC setup require administrator privileges.

You may add further utilities for maintenance and use of the MySQL database, but they are not needed for its integration into CyDAS.

CyDAS was developed with version 4.018 of the database engine and version 3.51.07 of the ODBC connector; later versions of the database engine require later versions of the ODBC connector, but else they are expected to work equally well.

The script file for the creation of the database and its primary contents is "MySQL_CyDAS.sql". You can execute it as follows:

To make this MySQL DB your database, edit the CyDAS.ini file (located in the installation directory) with a common text editor.

In the section "[Database]" uncomment the lines
"Engine=MySQL" and the line immediately beneath it
by removing the starting semicolon (";").

In the line starting with "ConnectString", edit the following parameters:

and save the ini file.

You may install the database engine on a different computer, this will enhance performance for all tasks requiring database queries. Still, the MySQL Connector / ODBC must be installed on the computer on which you are running CyDAS.

In the CyDAS.ini file (see above), the server name (or its IP address) must be given in the "ConnectString" line, i.e. you must replace "localhost" with the name of the computer (or its IP address) on which the MySQL database server was installed.

Getting System Files

CyDAS links several libraries from Microsoft which are maybe not yet present on your installation. Links for downloading them from the Microsoft web site (generally at now charge) are provided on the Download page and below. Follow their respective install guides. You will need administrator privileges in order to install these items.

Integrating CyDAS into your Computer

After the above installation, you may want to create links to CyDAS on appropriate places.

Icon on the desk top

Many users prefer starting an application by clicking on an icon on their desk top. This can be established as follows:

Start menu

CyDAS can be integrated into the start menu as follows: