Build Lakebase-Connected Web Apps in Servoy

Servoy is a rapid application development and deployment platform. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for Lakebase, users can build Lakebase-connected apps that work with live Lakebase data. This article describes how to connect to Lakebase from Servoy and build a simple web app to display and search Lakebase data.

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live Lakebase data. When you issue complex SQL queries to Lakebase, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Lakebase and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations client-side (often SQL functions and JOIN operations). Its built-in dynamic metadata querying lets you work with Lakebase data using native data types.

Connect to Lakebase in Servoy Developer

To build Lakebase-connected apps, you need to first create a data provider in Servoy Developer using the CData JDBC Driver for Lakebase.

1. Install the JDBC Driver.
2. Copy the JDBC Driver JAR file. (cdata.jdbc.lakebase.jar) to the /application_server/drivers/ directory in the installation directory for Servoy.
3. Open Servoy Developer.
4. In the Solution Explorer, right-click Database Server (under Resources) and choose "Connect to existing database" -> "empty."
   1. Name the server.
   2. Click to show the advanced server settings.

      • Set the URL, for example: jdbc:lakebase:DatabricksInstance=lakebase;Server=127.0.0.1;Port=5432;Database=my_database;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;

        Built-In Connection String Designer

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

        				java -jar cdata.jdbc.lakebase.jar
        				

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

        To connect to Databricks Lakebase, start by setting the following properties:
        • DatabricksInstance: The Databricks instance or server hostname, provided in the format instance-abcdef12-3456-7890-abcd-abcdef123456.database.cloud.databricks.com.
        • Server: The host name or IP address of the server hosting the Lakebase database.
        • Port (optional): The port of the server hosting the Lakebase database, set to 5432 by default.
        • Database (optional): The database to connect to after authenticating to the Lakebase Server, set to the authenticating user's default database by default.

        OAuth Client Authentication

        To authenicate using OAuth client credentials, you need to configure an OAuth client in your service principal. In short, you need to do the following:

        1. Create and configure a new service principal
        2. Assign permissions to the service principal
        3. Create an OAuth secret for the service principal

        For more information, refer to the Setting Up OAuthClient Authentication section in the Help documentation.

        OAuth PKCE Authentication

        To authenticate using the OAuth code type with PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange), set the following properties:

        • AuthScheme: OAuthPKCE.
        • User: The authenticating user's user ID.

        For more information, refer to the Help documentation.

        
      • Select the Driver class you just copied, for example, cdata.jdbc.lakebase.LakebaseDriver
   

Build a Lakebase-Connected Web App

Once you have configured the connection to Lakebase in the Servoy Developer resources, you are ready to build apps with access to live Lakebase data.

Create a New Solution

1. In the Server Explorer, right-click "All solutions" and select "Create new solution."
2. Name the solution.
3. Select the checkbox to include the "search" module.
4. Click "Finish."

Create a New Form

Right-click "Forms" and select "Create new form."

1. Name the form.
2. Select a Datasource.
3. Set the type (e.g., Simple) and click "Finish."

Add a Data Grid to the Form

1. Drag a Data Grid component (from Servoy NG-Grids) onto the form.

2. Drag a column component onto the Data Grid and set the "dataprovider" property for each column component to a column from the Lakebase "table" (e.g., ShipName from the Orders table).

   Continue adding columns as desired.

Add Searching to the App

Note that the "svySearch" extension is required to add search functionality (included by default when you create a new solution). If you did not add the extension when you created the solution or you are modifying an existing solution, you can add the search module by right-clicking Modules (in the solution) and selecting "Add Module." Select "svySearch" and click "OK."

1. Drag a Text Field component onto the Form.
2. Right-click the Form and select "Open in Script Editor."
3. Create a new variable (JavaScript) to hold the search value:

   var searchText = '';
   

4. Back on the Form, in the Text Field properties:
   1. Set the "dataprovider" property to the Form variable you just created.
   2. Double-click to add a method for the onAction event.
   3. Click to create the method in "Form," name the method (e.g., onEnter), and click "Create private."
   4. Click "OK & Show."
5. Add the following JavaScript to the JavaScript file to use the Servoy framework to implement searching bound data based on the text in the Text Field:

   var search = scopes.svySearch.createSimpleSearch(foundset).setSearchText(searchText);
   search.setSearchAllColumns();
   search.loadRecords(foundset);
   

Save and Launch the App

Save the form and JavaScript file, then click Run -> Launch NGClient to start the web app.

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Lakebase and start building Lakebase-connected apps with Servoy. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.