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Get the Report →DataBind Controls to QuickBooks Online Data in Delphi
DataBind to QuickBooks Online data in Delphi with standard data access components and controls.
The CData ODBC driver for QuickBooks Online supports the ODBC standard to enable integration of live QuickBooks Online data with visual form designers and other rapid development tools in Delphi. The ODBC driver simplifies data access strategies for applications that share a single codebase like Delphi by providing a single API for database development. This article shows how to how to connect to QuickBooks Online data and query data from a simple visual component library (VCL) application, as well as from Delphi code.
About QuickBooks Online Data Integration
CData provides the easiest way to access and integrate live data from QuickBooks Online. Customers use CData connectivity to:
- Realize high-performance data reads thanks to push-down query optimization for complex operations like filters and aggregations.
- Read, write, update, and delete QuickBooks Online data.
- Run reports, download attachments, and send or void invoices directly from code using SQL stored procedures.
- Connect securely using OAuth and modern cryptography, including TLS 1.2, SHA-256, and ECC.
Many users access live QuickBooks Online data from preferred analytics tools like Power BI and Excel, directly from databases with federated access, and use CData solutions to easily integrate QuickBooks Online data with automated workflows for business-to-business communications.
For more information on how customers are solving problems with CData's QuickBooks Online solutions, refer to our blog: https://www.cdata.com/blog/360-view-of-your-customers.
Getting Started
Create a Connection to QuickBooks Online 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.
QuickBooks Online uses the OAuth authentication standard. OAuth requires the authenticating user to log in through the browser. To authenticate using OAuth, you can use the embedded OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL or you can obtain your own by registering an app with Intuit. Additionally, if you want to connect to sandbox data, set UseSandbox to true.
See the Getting Started chapter of the help documentation for a guide to using OAuth.
You can then follow the steps below to use the Data Explorer to create a FireDAC connection to QuickBooks Online 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 QuickBooks Online.
Create VCL Applications with Connectivity to QuickBooks Online Data
Follow the procedure below to start executing queries to QuickBooks Online 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 QuickBooks Online 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 DisplayName, Balance FROM Customers
- 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.
Execute Commands to QuickBooks Online with FireDAC Components
You can use the TFDConnection and TFQuery components to execute queries to QuickBooks Online data. This section provides QuickBooks Online data-specific examples of executing queries with the TFQuery component.
Connect to QuickBooks Online Data
To connect to the data source, set the Connected property of the TFDConnection component to true. You can set the same properties from code:
FDConnection1.ConnectionDefName := 'myqbonline';
FDConnection1.Connected := true;
Create Parameterized Queries
Parameterized resources can improve performance: Preparing statements is costly in system resources and time. The connection must be active and open while a statement is prepared. By default, FireDAC prepares the query to avoid recompiling the same query over and over. To disable statement preparation, set ResourceOptions.DirectExecute to True; for example, when you need to execute a query only once.
Execute a Query
To execute a query that returns a result set, such as a select query, use the Open method. The Open method executes the query, returns the result set, and opens it. The Open method will return an error if the query does not produce a result set.
FDQuery1.Open('select * from Customers where FullyQualifiedName = :FullyQualifiedName',['Cook, Brian']);
To execute a query that does not return a result set, such as a delete, use the ExecSQL method. The ExecSQL method will return an error if the query returns a result set. To retrieve the count of affected rows, use the TFD.RowsAffected property.
FDQuery1.ExecSQL('delete from Customers where Id= :myId',['x12345']);
i := FDQuery1.RowsAffected;
Related Articles
Below you can find other articles for using the CData ODBC Driver with RAD Studio, Delphi, and C++ Builder.