Build a Simple VCL Application for Cosmos DB Data

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Cosmos DB FireDAC Components

Rapidly create and deploy powerful Delphi & C++Builder Apps that integrate with Cosmos DB document databases.

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How to build a simple VCL Application to view Cosmos DB data in RAD Studio using the CData FireDAC Components for Cosmos DB.

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

Creating a VCL Application for Cosmos DB 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 Cosmos DB from any application.

The following example populates a TDBGrid control.

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

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

    To obtain the connection string needed to connect to a Cosmos DB account using the SQL API, log in to the Azure Portal, select Azure Cosmos DB, and select your account. In the Settings section, click Connection String and set the following values:

    • AccountEndpoint: The Cosmos DB account URL from the Keys blade of the Cosmos DB account
    • AccountKey: In the Azure portal, navigate to the Cosmos DB service and select your Azure Cosmos DB account. From the resource menu, go to the Keys page. Find the PRIMARY KEY value and set AccountKey to this value.

  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.