Recent changes to Installation

Installation modified by Shawn Yates

Shawn Yates — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:21:20 -0000

--- v8
+++ v9
@@ -1,60 +1,3 @@
-
-Add installation guide for ciera_demo.sql
-Jul 15
-·
-CIERA
-·
-master
-·
-+224
--0
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-Archive
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-Share
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-Create PR
-
-
-Looking at the CIERA code, if the user had a demo mysql database, called "ciera_demo.sql", write a wiki-friendly how-to installation guide that can be copied and pasted into a wiki, for someone wanting to test the system out.
-Copy
-Summary
-
-Added a wiki-friendly CIERA demo MySQL installation guide for a ciera_demo.sql dump, including prerequisites, local database import, demo credentials, and connection verification steps. 
-
-Documented how to configure the shared App.config cieraConnection for a local or remote ciera_demo database. 
-
-Added restore, build, run, smoke-test, troubleshooting, and database reset instructions for testers evaluating the system. 
-
-Testing
-
-✅ git diff --check
-
-Committed changes with:
-
-4fb85e6 Add demo database installation guide
-
-Created PR metadata with title:
-
-Add demo database installation guide
-
-
-File (1)
-
-DemoDatabaseInstallationGuide.md
-docs/DemoDatabaseInstallationGuide.md
-New
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-Diff
-Logs
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-docs/DemoDatabaseInstallationGuide.md
-docs/DemoDatabaseInstallationGuide.md
-New
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--0

 # CIERA demo MySQL installation guide

Installation modified by Shawn Yates

Shawn Yates — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:18:22 -0000

--- v7
+++ v8
@@ -1,14 +1,282 @@
-#Installation Instructions 
-## Minimum Requirements:
-* Microsoft Windows 7
-* Microsoft Excel 2010
-* MySQL Community Server 5.7 (use MySQL Installer)

- 
-## Installation of CIERA standalone
-
-1.  Install MySQL Community Server from the[ MySQL Installer](https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer)
-2.  Configure the MySQL Community Server to work on Port 3306, and create a dbAdmin account in MySQL for user=CIERA, password=CIERA.
-3.  From the MySQL Installer, install the MySQL Workbench application
-4.  From the MySQL Workbench, import either the ciera_demo.sql or ciera.sql  (empty) database
-5.  Install the CIERA Standalone Setup installer, which will install the necessary infrastructure and tools.
-6.  If needed, you can configure your database connection by clicking on **Database Configuration** and adding the relevant information.
+
+Add installation guide for ciera_demo.sql
+Jul 15
+·
+CIERA
+·
+master
+·
++224
+-0
+
+Archive
+
+Share
+
+Create PR
+
+
+Looking at the CIERA code, if the user had a demo mysql database, called "ciera_demo.sql", write a wiki-friendly how-to installation guide that can be copied and pasted into a wiki, for someone wanting to test the system out.
+Copy
+Summary
+
+Added a wiki-friendly CIERA demo MySQL installation guide for a ciera_demo.sql dump, including prerequisites, local database import, demo credentials, and connection verification steps. 
+
+Documented how to configure the shared App.config cieraConnection for a local or remote ciera_demo database. 
+
+Added restore, build, run, smoke-test, troubleshooting, and database reset instructions for testers evaluating the system. 
+
+Testing
+
+✅ git diff --check
+
+Committed changes with:
+
+4fb85e6 Add demo database installation guide
+
+Created PR metadata with title:
+
+Add demo database installation guide
+
+
+File (1)
+
+DemoDatabaseInstallationGuide.md
+docs/DemoDatabaseInstallationGuide.md
+New
+
+
+
+Diff
+Logs
+
+docs/DemoDatabaseInstallationGuide.md
+docs/DemoDatabaseInstallationGuide.md
+New
++224
+-0
+
+# CIERA demo MySQL installation guide
+
+This page is a copy/paste-friendly guide for installing CIERA against a demo MySQL database dump named `ciera_demo.sql` so a tester can evaluate the system locally.
+
+## What this installs
+
+* A local MySQL database named `ciera_demo` loaded from `ciera_demo.sql`.
+* A MySQL login named `CIERA` with password `CIERA` for demo testing.
+* A local CIERA build configured through the shared `App.config` connection string.
+
+> **Demo-only warning:** The credentials below match the values already used by the project configuration and are intended only for local demo/test machines. Use unique credentials for shared, production, or internet-accessible databases.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Install these on a Windows test workstation:
+
+1. **MySQL Server** running on port `3306`.
+2. **MySQL command-line client** (`mysql`) available from PowerShell or Command Prompt.
+3. **Visual Studio 2022** with the **.NET desktop development** workload.
+4. **.NET Framework 4.8 Developer Pack**.
+5. The CIERA source code and the demo dump file `ciera_demo.sql`.
+
+CIERA is a Visual Basic/.NET Framework solution. The projects target `.NET Framework 4.8`, and the solution contains the Launcher, SetGenVB, SparcQry dependency, and test projects.
+
+## 1. Get the source code and demo dump ready
+
+1. Clone or copy the CIERA repository to a local folder, for example:
+
+   ```powershell
+   C:\src\CIERA
+   ```
+
+2. Copy `ciera_demo.sql` into the repository root:
+
+   ```powershell
+   C:\src\CIERA\ciera_demo.sql
+   ```
+
+3. Open a PowerShell window in the repository root:
+
+   ```powershell
+   cd C:\src\CIERA
+   ```
+
+## 2. Create and load the demo MySQL database
+
+Run the following commands from PowerShell or Command Prompt. Replace `root` with a MySQL administrator account if your local server uses a different admin user.
+
+```powershell
+mysql -u root -p -e "CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS ciera_demo CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;"
+mysql -u root -p ciera_demo < ciera_demo.sql
+```
+
+If the dump already contains a `CREATE DATABASE` or `USE` statement, import it with:
+
+```powershell
+mysql -u root -p < ciera_demo.sql
+```
+
+## 3. Create a demo database user
+
+Create a local demo user that matches the credentials expected by the sample CIERA configuration:
+
+```powershell
+mysql -u root -p -e "CREATE USER IF NOT EXISTS 'CIERA'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'CIERA'; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ciera_demo.* TO 'CIERA'@'localhost'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES;"
+```
+
+If testers will connect from another machine, also create or grant a host-specific user, for example:
+
+```powershell
+mysql -u root -p -e "CREATE USER IF NOT EXISTS 'CIERA'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'CIERA'; GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ciera_demo.* TO 'CIERA'@'%'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES;"
+```
+
+> **Security note:** Only use `'CIERA'@'%'` on an isolated demo network. Prefer a specific client hostname or IP address whenever possible.
+
+## 4. Confirm the database connection works
+
+Test that the demo user can connect and see tables:
+
+```powershell
+mysql -h localhost -P 3306 -u CIERA -pCIERA -e "SHOW TABLES;" ciera_demo
+```
+
+You should see the tables imported from `ciera_demo.sql`. If the command fails, fix the MySQL server, firewall, user, or password before continuing.
+
+## 5. Configure CIERA to use `ciera_demo`
+
+CIERA projects link to the shared repository-level `App.config`, so update the `cieraConnection` connection string there before building or running.
+
+1. Open this file:
+
+   ```text
+   C:\src\CIERA\App.config
+   ```
+
+2. In the `<connectionstrings>` section, replace the active `cieraConnection` entry with this local demo connection:
+
+   ```xml
+   <add name="cieraConnection" +="" providername="MySql.Data.MySqlClient" connectionstring="server=localhost; port=3306; database=ciera_demo; uid=CIERA; pwd=CIERA; SslMode=none; Connection Timeout=99999">
+   ```
+
+3. Save the file.
+
+For a database hosted on another machine, replace `localhost` with the database server name or IP address:
+
+```xml
+<add name="cieraConnection" +="" providername="MySql.Data.MySqlClient" connectionstring="server=YOUR_MYSQL_SERVER; port=3306; database=ciera_demo; uid=CIERA; pwd=CIERA; SslMode=none; Connection Timeout=99999">
+```
+
+## 6. Restore NuGet packages
+
+Use Visual Studio or command line.
+
+### Option A: Visual Studio
+
+1. Open `CIERA.sln`.
+2. Right-click the solution.
+3. Select **Restore NuGet Packages**.
+
+### Option B: Command line
+
+From the repository root:
+
+```powershell
+nuget restore CIERA.sln
+```
+
+## 7. Build CIERA
+
+### Option A: Visual Studio
+
+1. Open `CIERA.sln` in Visual Studio.
+2. Select **Debug** or **Release**.
+3. Select **Build > Build Solution**.
+
+### Option B: Developer Command Prompt
+
+From a Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt in the repository root:
+
+```cmd
+msbuild CIERA.sln /t:Restore,Build /p:Configuration=Debug
+```
+
+If `msbuild` is not found, open **Developer Command Prompt for VS 2022** or use Visual Studio to build.
+
+## 8. Run the application
+
+From Visual Studio:
+
+1. Set **CIERA Launcher** or **SetGenVB** as the startup project, depending on what you want to test.
+2. Press **F5** to debug or **Ctrl+F5** to run without debugging.
+3. Confirm the application starts and can load data from the demo database.
+
+From the build output folder, run one of the generated executables, for example:
+
+```powershell
+.\Launcher\bin\Debug\CIERA Launcher.exe
+```
+
+or:
+
+```powershell
+.\SetGenVB\bin\Debug\SetGenVB.exe
+```
+
+## 9. Quick smoke test checklist
+
+After the application opens:
+
+* Confirm there are no database connection errors on startup.
+* Open a list, search, or other database-backed screen.
+* Confirm demo germplasm/list data from `ciera_demo` appears.
+* Create or edit only disposable demo data unless your dump should remain unchanged.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### `Access denied for user 'CIERA'@'localhost'`
+
+Re-run the user creation/grant command in step 3 and verify the password in `App.config` is `CIERA`.
+
+### `Unknown database 'ciera_demo'`
+
+Create the database and import the dump again:
+
+```powershell
+mysql -u root -p -e "CREATE DATABASE IF NOT EXISTS ciera_demo CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;"
+mysql -u root -p ciera_demo < ciera_demo.sql
+```
+
+### The app still tries to connect to an old server
+
+Make sure the active, uncommented `cieraConnection` entry in the repository-level `App.config` points to `database=ciera_demo`. Rebuild the solution after saving `App.config` so the updated configuration is copied to the output folder.
+
+### MySQL is installed but `mysql` is not recognized
+
+Add the MySQL `bin` directory to your `PATH`, or run commands with the full path, for example:
+
+```powershell
+& "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\bin\mysql.exe" -u root -p
+```
+
+### Remote tester cannot connect
+
+Check all of the following:
+
+* The MySQL server allows TCP/IP connections on port `3306`.
+* Windows Firewall allows inbound MySQL traffic from the tester's machine.
+* The MySQL user host is correct, such as `'CIERA'@'tester-host'` or `'CIERA'@'%'` for isolated demos.
+* `App.config` uses the server hostname/IP instead of `localhost`.
+
+## Resetting the demo database
+
+To return to a clean demo state, drop and reload the database:
+
+```powershell
+mysql -u root -p -e "DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS ciera_demo; CREATE DATABASE ciera_demo CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;"
+mysql -u root -p ciera_demo < ciera_demo.sql
+```
+
+Then restart CIERA.
</add></add></connectionstrings>

Installation modified by Shawn Yates

Shawn Yates — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 21:24:15 -0000

--- v6
+++ v7
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 ## Installation of CIERA standalone

 1.  Install MySQL Community Server from the[ MySQL Installer](https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer)
-2.  Configure the MySQL Community Server to work on Port 3306, and create a dbAdmin account for user=CIERA, password=CIERA.
+2.  Configure the MySQL Community Server to work on Port 3306, and create a dbAdmin account in MySQL for user=CIERA, password=CIERA.
 3.  From the MySQL Installer, install the MySQL Workbench application
 4.  From the MySQL Workbench, import either the ciera_demo.sql or ciera.sql  (empty) database
 5.  Install the CIERA Standalone Setup installer, which will install the necessary infrastructure and tools.
+6.  If needed, you can configure your database connection by clicking on **Database Configuration** and adding the relevant information.

Installation modified by Shawn Yates

Shawn Yates — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:57:14 -0000

--- v5
+++ v6
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@

 ## Installation of CIERA standalone

-1.  Install MySQL Community Server from the MySQL Installer (https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer/) 
+1.  Install MySQL Community Server from the[ MySQL Installer](https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer)
 2.  Configure the MySQL Community Server to work on Port 3306, and create a dbAdmin account for user=CIERA, password=CIERA.
 3.  From the MySQL Installer, install the MySQL Workbench application
 4.  From the MySQL Workbench, import either the ciera_demo.sql or ciera.sql  (empty) database

Installation modified by Shawn Yates

Shawn Yates — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:55:28 -0000

--- v4
+++ v5
@@ -6,5 +6,8 @@

 ## Installation of CIERA standalone

-1.  Install MySQL Community Server from the MySQL Installer (https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer/) (Version 5.7 recommended, testing has not yet been done on 8.1).
-2.  Install the CIERA Standalone Setup installer, which will install the necessary infrastructure and tools.
+1.  Install MySQL Community Server from the MySQL Installer (https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer/) 
+2.  Configure the MySQL Community Server to work on Port 3306, and create a dbAdmin account for user=CIERA, password=CIERA.
+3.  From the MySQL Installer, install the MySQL Workbench application
+4.  From the MySQL Workbench, import either the ciera_demo.sql or ciera.sql  (empty) database
+5.  Install the CIERA Standalone Setup installer, which will install the necessary infrastructure and tools.

Installation modified by Shawn Yates

Shawn Yates — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 20:52:27 -0000

--- v3
+++ v4
@@ -6,3 +6,5 @@

 ## Installation of CIERA standalone

+1.  Install MySQL Community Server from the MySQL Installer (https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer/) (Version 5.7 recommended, testing has not yet been done on 8.1).
+2.  Install the CIERA Standalone Setup installer, which will install the necessary infrastructure and tools.

Installation modified by Shawn Yates

Shawn Yates — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 19:54:25 -0000

--- v2
+++ v3
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@
 * Microsoft Windows 7
 * Microsoft Excel 2010
 * MySQL Community Server 5.7 (use MySQL Installer)
-* MySQL .Net Connector (use MySQL Installer)
-
-## Installation of Infrastructure
-
+ 
 ## Installation of CIERA standalone