START UP INFO FOR DELPHI DEVELOPERS

NEW TO dbExpress COMPONENTS

Great and easy to use components.

New: Delphi 2007 has excellent documentation on using these components.  I highly recommend Delphi 2007!

New: Another excellent document on using dbExpress is here.

Below is a screen shot of the dialog that is displayed when you double click the TSQLConnection component. This one is in ib_CommonData.pas and there is one in ib_Master.pas for the multiple path database. This is the connection component for dbExpress components.

Notice in the title bar the path of this ini file. The checkmark button is where you can test your connection.

Check the code in ib_main.pas for the function "IsDelphiRunning" line 166 at the time of this writing. I have it automatically log me in during development.

A sql file is in the db directory for creating a copy of the database. Edit this file and change the path and the name. It will create everything but data, except for the company table. Default data has been entered. You may also want to edit data in the users table so that logging in will go smoothly.

This file may be updated at anytime. So check back to get updates to the startup information.  

This screenshot shows using a firebird server at the time.  The IBConnection can also be used.

Below are the main dbExpress components. The TSQLConnection mentioned above and the main components for tables. Very few tables are used. You may find them in the ib_commondata.pas only at this time.

Below are the most common data connections. Query for sql statements the provider and the clientdataset and of course the datasource.

I have created a template of these so that I don't have to drop each one on the form or data module. Time saver!

Connection procedure below:

Query -

1. set sqlconnection.

2. edit sql for either the only sql statement or at least one for development. Set the runtime in code later if you need to.

3. With the sql written, check params if any and edit.

4. Double click the component and set persistant fields. The key field will need to be selected and the provider flag pfInKey set to true. Updates to this query will use this unique field to key on.

5. Set provider dataset to the query. UpdateMode to upWhereKeyOnly

6. Select clientdataset and set the ProviderName to the provider for the query component. Double click component and set up persistant fields. No key needs to be set. You can however, setup your relations here on the client dataset. The query component will need to have a parameter for this masterfield. See examples of these throughout the project.

7. Set DataSource to point to the ClientDataSet.

8. During development and at runtime, set active to only the clientdataset (cds), the cds will communicate with query and provider, etc.......

That should get you started if you are new to dbExpress components.