my $dbh;
sub connectdb {# connect to database using 3 parameters; return database handle
	my ($dbstring, $dbdepot, $password) = @_;
	print "attempt to connect to database $dbstring :$dbdepot\n";
	system "time /T";
	my $dbhi = DBI->connect($dbstring,$dbdepot,$password,
		{ AutoCommit => 0,
		  RaiseError => 1,
		  PrintError => 1 })
		or warn "can't connect to database $dbstring :$dbdepot :", $DBI::errstr, "\n";
	if (defined ($dbhi)) {
		print "success: $dbhi \n";
		return $dbhi;
	} else {
		print "Failure\n";
		return -1;
	}
}

while (($dbh = connectdb($dwqa1,$depot,$pswd) eq -1) && ($sleepcount < $sleeplimit)) {
	sleep ($sleepdur);
	++$sleepcount;
}
my $sth = $dbh->prepare("select '$depot', t.table_name, column_name from user_tables t, user_tab_columns c where c.table_name = t.table_name");
$sth->execute();