Using the Web Assistant Wizard

Microsoft® SQL Server™ version 7.0 includes the Web Assistant Wizard, a tool you can use to generate standard Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files from SQL Server data. The Web Assistant Wizard generates HTML files by using Transact-SQL queries, stored procedures, and extended stored procedures. HTML files, also known as Web pages, can be viewed by using an HTML browser. HTML files are resources for displaying information on the Web and on internal networks.

With the Web Assistant Wizard, you can generate an HTML file one time or as a regularly scheduled SQL Server task. You can update an HTML file, whenever relevant data changes, using a trigger. With this task-scheduling flexibility, and Transact-SQL, you can use the Web Assistant Wizard to:

Schedule a task to update a Web page automatically. For example, update a price list whenever a new item is added or a price is changed, thereby maintaining a dynamic inventory and price list for customers and sales staff.
Publish and distribute management reports, including the latest sales statistics, resource allocations, or other SQL Server data.
Publish server reports with information about who is accessing the server currently, which locks are being held, and by which users.
Publish information outside of SQL Server using extended stored procedures.
Publish server jump lists using a table of favorite Web sites.

You can create a Web page with the Web Assistant Wizard by completing these steps:

Start the Web Assistant Wizard, then select the database data to publish.
Specify the frequency of Web page updates.
Name the HTML file, then specify where it is to be published.
Include some basic HTML formatting for the titles and tables using the formatting screens.
Add optional URLs to complete your page.

Note The Web Assistant Wizard provides an interface for the stored procedure sp_makewebtask.