Description: To help you get up and running with Derby as quickly as possible, this self-study guide highlights some of the more important features of Derby.
Keywords: Java Development Kit version, verifying, JDK version, Working with Derby activities, prerequisites, environment variables, JAVA_HOME environment variable, DERBY_HOME environment variable

# Self-study tutorial for users new to Derby

To help you get up and running with Derby as quickly as possible, this self-study guide highlights some of the more important features of Derby.

#### Tutorial skills and software requirements

This tutorial uses a series of activities designed to demonstrate the use of Derby in the embedded and client/server configurations. After performing these activities, you will find Derby to be an easy-to-use and fully functional relational database management system (RDBMS).

To perform the tutorial activities, you do not need to have any prior knowledge of Java software, the Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) API, or SQL. Each activity provides the complete command syntax that you need to use for each operation. Instructions include the syntax for both a UNIX Korn shell and a Windows command prompt.

This tutorial demonstrates, but does not teach, the Java, JDBC and SQL code that is presented. If you want a deeper understanding of these topics, you will need to consult additional reference materials.

To perform the tutorial activities, you must have:

- A Java Development Kit (JDK) version 1.4 or higher installed on your computer
- The binary (`bin`) installation of Apache Derby version 10.3 installed on your computer
- A basic knowledge of the computer command line interface:
  - How to start a command shell or window
  - How to navigate the file system hierarchy

#### System configuration

You should verify the system configuration before you perform the tutorial activities.

#### Problems and feedback on the tutorial activities

If you experience problems with any aspect of the tutorial activities, send an e-mail message to `derby-user@db.apache.org`. Someone from the Derby community will respond to your message.

The questions and feedback received will be used to make this tutorial more useful.

- Tutorial overview
  Each activity in this self-study tutorial highlights an important feature of Derby.
- Activity 1: Run SQL using the embedded driver
  In this activity, you will use the embedded driver to load the Derby database engine, create and connect to a database, and use some basic SQL statements.
- Activity 2: Run SQL using the client driver
  This activity uses Derby within a client/server configuration by using the Network Server. The ij tool is the client application that connects to the Derby Network Server. In this activity, you create a database called seconddb and run some basic SQL statements.
- Activity 3: Run a JDBC program using the embedded driver
  This activity loads the Derby database engine using a simple Java JDBC program.
- Activity 4: Create and run a JDBC program using the client driver and Network Server
  This activity demonstrates the ease with which a program that embeds Derby can be modified for a client/server implementation that uses the Derby Network Server.
- What next with Derby?
  Congratulations on completing the activities in this tutorial. You now have experience with using Derby in both the embedded and client/server architectures.