Query Access Data in DataGrip



Create a Data Source for Access in DataGrip and use SQL to query live Access data.

DataGrip is a database IDE that allows SQL developers to query, create, and manage databases. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for Access, DataGrip can work with live Access data. This article shows how to establish a connection to Access data in DataGrip and use the table editor to load Access data.

Create a New Driver Definition for Access

The steps below describe how to create a new Data Source in DataGrip for Access.

  1. In DataGrip, click File -> New > Project and name the project
  2. In the Database Explorer, click the plus icon () and select Driver.
  3. In the Driver tab:
    • Set Name to a user-friendly name (e.g. "CData Access Driver")
    • Set Driver Files to the appropriate JAR file. To add the file, click the plus (), select "Add Files," navigate to the "lib" folder in the driver's installation directory and select the JAR file (e.g. cdata.jdbc.access.jar).
    • Set Class to cdata.jdbc.access.Access.jar
    Additionally, in the advanced tab you can change driver properties and some other settings like VM Options, VM environment, VM home path, DBMS, etc
    • For most cases, change the DBMS type to "Unknown" in Expert options to avoid native SQL Server queries (Transact-SQL), which might result in an invalid function error
  4. Click "Apply" then "OK" to save the Connection

Configure a Connection to Access

  1. Once the connection is saved, click the plus (), then "Data Source" then "CData Access Driver" to create a new Access Data Source.
  2. In the new window, configure the connection to Access with a JDBC URL.

    Built-in Connection String Designer

    For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Access JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

    java -jar cdata.jdbc.access.jar

    Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

    To connect, set the DataSource property to the path to the Access database.

  3. Set URL to the connection string, e.g., jdbc:access:DataSource=C:/MyDB.accdb;
  4. Click "Apply" and "OK" to save the connection string

At this point, you will see the data source in the Data Explorer.

Execute SQL Queries Against Access

To browse through the Access entities (available as tables) accessible through the JDBC Driver, expand the Data Source.

To execute queries, right click on any table and select "New" -> "Query Console."

In the Console, write the SQL query you wish to execute. For example: SELECT Orders.Freight, Customers.ContactName FROM Customers INNER JOIN Orders ON Customers.CustomerId=Orders.CustomerId

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Access and start working with your live Access data in DataGrip. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.

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