Discover how a bimodal integration strategy can address the major data management challenges facing your organization today.
Get the Report →DataBind Controls to Zendesk Data in Delphi
DataBind to Zendesk data in Delphi with standard data access components and controls.
The CData ODBC Driver for Zendesk supports the ODBC standard to enable integration of live Zendesk data with visual form designers and other rapid development tools in Delphi. The ODBC driver simplifies data access strategies for applications that share a single codebase like Delphi by providing a single API for database development. This article shows how to how to connect to Zendesk data and query data from a simple visual component library (VCL) application, as well as from Delphi code.
Create a Connection to Zendesk Data
If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.
Connecting to Zendesk
To connect, set the URL and provide authentication. The URL is your Zendesk Support URL: https://{subdomain}.zendesk.com.
Authenticating to Zendesk
You can authenticate using the Basic or OAuth methods.
Using Basic Authentication
To use Basic authentication, specify your email address and password or your email address and an API token. Set User to your email address and follow the steps below to provide the Password or ApiToken.
- Enable password access in the Zendesk Support admin interface at Admin > Channels > API.
- Manage API tokens in the Zendesk Support Admin interface at Admin > Channels > API. More than one token can be active at the same time. Deleting a token deactivates it permanently.
Using OAuth Authentication
See the Getting Started guide in the CData driver documentation for an authentication guide.
You can then follow the steps below to use the Data Explorer to create a FireDAC connection to Zendesk data.
- In a new VCL Forms application, expand the FireDAC node in the Data Explorer.
- Right-click the ODBC Data Source node in the Data Explorer.
- Click Add New Connection.
- Enter a name for the connection.
- In the FireDAC Connection Editor that appears, set the DataSource property to the name of the ODBC DSN for Zendesk.
Create VCL Applications with Connectivity to Zendesk Data
Follow the procedure below to start executing queries to Zendesk data from a simple VCL application that displays the results of a query in a grid.
-
Drop a TFDConnection component onto the form and set the following properties:
- ConnectionDefName: Select the FireDAC connection to Zendesk data.
- Connected: Select True from the menu and, in the dialog that appears, enter your credentials.
-
Drop a TFDQuery component onto the form and set the properties below:
- Connection: Set this property to the TFDConnection component, if this component is not already specified.
SQL: Click the button in the SQL property and enter a query. For example:
SELECT Id, Subject FROM Tickets
- Active: Set this property to true.
Drop a TDataSource component onto the form and set the following property:
- DataSet: In the menu for this property, select the name of the TFDQuery component.
-
Drop a TDBGrid control onto the form and set the following property:
- DataSource: Select the name of the TDataSource.
- Drop a TFDGUIxWaitCursor onto the form — this is required to avoid a run-time error.
Execute Commands to Zendesk with FireDAC Components
You can use the TFDConnection and TFQuery components to execute queries to Zendesk data. This section provides Zendesk data-specific examples of executing queries with the TFQuery component.
Connect to Zendesk Data
To connect to the data source, set the Connected property of the TFDConnection component to true. You can set the same properties from code:
FDConnection1.ConnectionDefName := 'myzendesk';
FDConnection1.Connected := true;
Create Parameterized Queries
Parameterized resources can improve performance: Preparing statements is costly in system resources and time. The connection must be active and open while a statement is prepared. By default, FireDAC prepares the query to avoid recompiling the same query over and over. To disable statement preparation, set ResourceOptions.DirectExecute to True; for example, when you need to execute a query only once.
Execute a Query
To execute a query that returns a result set, such as a select query, use the Open method. The Open method executes the query, returns the result set, and opens it. The Open method will return an error if the query does not produce a result set.
FDQuery1.Open('select * from Tickets where Industry = :Industry',['Floppy Disks']);
To execute a query that does not return a result set, such as a delete, use the ExecSQL method. The ExecSQL method will return an error if the query returns a result set. To retrieve the count of affected rows, use the TFD.RowsAffected property.
FDQuery1.ExecSQL('delete from Tickets where Id= :myId',['x12345']);
i := FDQuery1.RowsAffected;
Related Articles
Below you can find other articles for using the CData ODBC Driver with RAD Studio, Delphi, and C++ Builder.