Build a Simple VCL Application for Sybase Data

Embarcadero RAD Studio provides a development environment for Delphi and C++Builder applications. With the CData FireDAC Components for Sybase, you gain access to live Sybase data within RAD Studio, abstracting the data into tables, views, and stored procedures that can be used to both retrieve and update Sybase data. This article will walk through connecting to Sybase and creating a simple VCL application with the Form Designer.

Creating a VCL Application for Sybase Data

The following instructions show how to use the Form Designer to create a simple VCL Forms application that shows the basic FireDAC objects needed to connect to Sybase from any application.

The following example populates a TDBGrid control.

1. Create a new VCL Forms Application.
2. Drop a TFDPhysSybaseDriverLink and TFDConnection object onto the form.

3. Double-click the TFDConnection object. The FireDAC Connection Editor is displayed. Select "CData.Sybase" in the DriverId menu and configure the connection properties.
   

   To authenticate with Sybase, set User and Password. Additionally, set IntegratedSecurity; to true to use Windows authentication otherwise, Sybase authentication is used. Set the Server and Database properties. To secure connections with TLS/SSL, set Encrypt to true.

   
4. Drop a TFDQuery object onto the form and set the properties below:
   • Connection - Set this property to the TFDConnection object, if this object is not already specified.
   • SQL - Click the button in the SQL property and enter a query.
   • Active - Set this property to true.
5. Drop a TDataSource object onto the form and set the following property:
   • DataSet - In the menu for this property, select the name of the TFDQuery object.
6. Drop a TDBGrid control onto the form and set the following property:
   • DataSource - Select the name of the TDataSource.

7. Drop a TFDGUIxWaitCursor onto the form. This is required to avoid a run-time error.

   

You now have an executable application that displays the results of the SQL Query set in the TFDQuery object.