Connection to ODBC in very restricted environment (sort of challenge)

I usually type too much, so read bold copy if in a hurry.

I'm trying to develop a little app in a very restrictive environment (at work)... I want to read data from a database, but I cant install stuff on my machine (so my usual choice of using python or visual studio is a no-no). Basically I will have to do with whatever I've got at hand...

What solution can you come up with to access an odbc connection and read the records of a table in an environment where you can't install any software? feel free to suggest any language, as long as you don't need to install anything.

My best idea so far is trying to use the web-browser (since i only need notepad to code), so... basically using only HTML and javascript to try to access it (although I have no clue how to acomplish that task, as I've never done it before)...

I know it is not a good idea, but since I won't post this on internet (I only I would have access to this from my desk, and the DB is on my local network), I don't think security is an issue.

Even if I don't get a solution, I would like to hear wha开发者_StackOverflow中文版t would you guys try if the need arose. But any ideas or links pointing me in the right direction would be appreciated.

Edit: For clarity's sake, it is a Windows environment.

You could use Portable Python, and Portable Notepad++. That way, you'll have nothing to install, and you'll still be able to use your preferred language.

If you like Django, you can have all that in a portable bundle : Instant Django

You don't mention OS or why the environment is so locked down, but if it's a managed Windows environment, you probably have Office installed. You may find that you can connect using Excel. (In 2003, it's under data -> import external data -> new database query, which brings up a list of ODBC connections.) Heck, if Office is installed, maybe you'll even have the Ultimate Root of All Evil program (a.k.a. MS Access).

If you have a web server on the db machine, you could write a Java (not javascript) application to access the db using java connector (or odbc). That's assuming Java is already installed on your machine.

Another possibility is to write an AJAX application to access the data server-side.

Not sure if you are on windows or not, but if you are: cscript.exe

If you have access to notepad you should be able to do it:

Something along these lines:

option explicit

dim conn : set conn = wscript.createobject("ADODB.connection")
conn.open("Driver={SQL Server};Server=127.0.0.1\sqlexpress;Database=tinker;Trusted_Connection=Yes;")
dim sql : sql = "select * from demos"
dim rs : set rs = conn.execute(SQL)
dim line
dim cnt
line = ""
for cnt = 0 to rs.fields.count-1
    line = line & CHR(9) & rs.fields(cnt).name
next
wscript.echo line
while not rs.eof
    line = ""
    for cnt = 0 to rs.fields.count-1
        line = line & CHR(9) & rs.fields(cnt).value
    next
    wscript.echo line
    rs.movenext
wend

Save that to a text file with a .vbs extension and run it with cscript