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How to build a simple VCL Application to view HCL Domino data in RAD Studio using the CData ODBC Driver for HCL Domino.
Embarcadero RAD Studio provides a development environment for Delphi and C++Builder applications. With the CData ODBC Driver for HCL Domino, you gain access to live HCL Domino data within RAD Studio, abstracting the data into tables, views, and stored procedures that can be used to retrieve HCL Domino data. This article will walk through connecting to HCL Domino and creating a simple VCL application with the Form Designer.
Create a Connection to HCL Domino 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 Domino
To connect to Domino data, set the following properties:
- URL: The host name or IP of the server hosting the Domino database. Include the port of the server hosting the Domino database. For example: http://sampleserver:1234/
- DatabaseScope: The name of a scope in the Domino Web UI. The driver exposes forms and views for the schema governed by the specified scope. In the Domino Admin UI, select the Scopes menu in the sidebar. Set this property to the name of an existing scope.
Authenticating with Domino
Domino supports authenticating via login credentials or an Azure Active Directory OAuth application:
Login Credentials
To authenticate with login credentials, set the following properties:
- AuthScheme: Set this to "OAuthPassword"
- User: The username of the authenticating Domino user
- Password: The password associated with the authenticating Domino user
The driver uses the login credentials to automatically perform an OAuth token exchange.
AzureAD
This authentication method uses Azure Active Directory as an IdP to obtain a JWT token. You need to create a custom OAuth application in Azure Active Directory and configure it as an IdP. To do so, follow the instructions in the Help documentation. Then set the following properties:
- AuthScheme: Set this to "AzureAD"
- InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
- OAuthClientId: The Client ID obtained when setting up the custom OAuth application.
- OAuthClientSecret: The Client secret obtained when setting up the custom OAuth application.
- CallbackURL: The redirect URI defined when you registered your app. For example: https://localhost:33333
- AzureTenant: The Microsoft Online tenant being used to access data. Supply either a value in the form companyname.microsoft.com or the tenant ID.
The tenant ID is the same as the directory ID shown in the Azure Portal's Azure Active Directory > Properties page.
You can then follow the steps below to use the Data Explorer to create a FireDAC connection to HCL Domino 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 HCL Domino.
Create VCL Applications with Connectivity to HCL Domino Data
Follow the procedure below to start executing queries to HCL Domino data from a simple VCL application that displays the results of a query in a grid.
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Drop a TFDConnection component onto the form and set the following properties:
- ConnectionDefName: Select the FireDAC connection to HCL Domino data.
- Connected: Select True from the menu and, in the dialog that appears, enter your credentials.
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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 Name, Address FROM ByName WHERE City = 'Miami'
- 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.
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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.
You now have an executable application that displays the results of the SQL Query set in the TFDQuery object.
Related Articles
Below you can find other articles for using the CData ODBC Driver with RAD Studio, Delphi, and C++ Builder.