Viewing Google Directory Data in RAD Studio Data Explorer

Embarcadero RAD Studio provides a development environment for Delphi and C++Builder applications. With the CData ODBC Driver for Google Directory, you gain access to live Google Directory data within RAD Studio, abstracting the data into tables, views, and stored procedures that can be used to both retrieve and update Google Directory data. This article will walk through connecting to Google Directory using the Data Explorer.

Configure a Connection to Google Directory

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.

Google uses the OAuth authentication standard. You can authorize the data provider to access Google Spreadsheets as an individual user or with a Google Apps Domain service account. See the Getting Started section of the data provider help documentation for an authentication guide.

Connecting to Google Directory Data Using Data Explorer

You can create a simple application for displaying Google Directory data by utilizing the CData FireDAC Components for Google Directory and a new VCL Forms Application:

1. Open the Data Explorer in RAD Studio and expand FireDAC.
2. Right-click the ODBC Data Source node in the Data Explorer.
3. Click Add New Connection.
4. Enter a name for the connection.
5. In the FireDAC Connection Editor that appears, set the DataSource property to the name of the ODBC DSN for Google Directory.
6. Back in the Data Explorer, expand the tables for the connection.

7. Create a new VCL Forms application and drag a table (for example: MyTable) onto the form.

8. Select the MyTableTable object on the form and set the Active property to true.

9. Right-click on the object, bind visually, and link everything (*) to a new control (TStringGrid).

10. Arrange the TStringGrid on the form and run the application to see the MyTable data.