Build SAS xpt-Connected Web Apps in Servoy

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

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live SAS xpt data. When you issue complex SQL queries to SAS xpt, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to SAS xpt 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 SAS xpt data using native data types.

Connect to SAS xpt in Servoy Developer

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

1. Install the JDBC Driver.
2. Copy the JDBC Driver JAR file. (cdata.jdbc.sasxpt.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:sasxpt:URI=C:/folder;

        Built-In Connection String Designer

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

        java -jar cdata.jdbc.sasxpt.jar

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

        Connecting to Local SASXpt Files

        You can connect to local SASXpt file by setting the URI to a folder containing SASXpt files.

        Connecting to S3 data source

        You can connect to Amazon S3 source to read SASXpt files. Set the following properties to connect:

        • URI: Set this to the folder within your bucket that you would like to connect to.
        • AWSAccessKey: Set this to your AWS account access key.
        • AWSSecretKey: Set this to your AWS account secret key.
        • TemporaryLocalFolder: Set this to the path, or URI, to the folder that is used to temporarily download SASXpt file(s).

        Connecting to Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2

        You can connect to ADLS Gen2 to read SASXpt files. Set the following properties to connect:

        • URI: Set this to the name of the file system and the name of the folder which contacts your SASXpt files.
        • AzureAccount: Set this to the name of the Azure Data Lake storage account.
        • AzureAccessKey: Set this to our Azure DataLakeStore Gen 2 storage account access key.
        • TemporaryLocalFolder: Set this to the path, or URI, to the folder that is used to temporarily download SASXpt file(s).

      • Select the Driver class you just copied, for example, cdata.jdbc.sasxpt.SASXptDriver

Build a SAS xpt-Connected Web App

Once you have configured the connection to SAS xpt in the Servoy Developer resources, you are ready to build apps with access to live SAS xpt 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 SAS xpt "table" (e.g., Id from the SampleTable_1 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 SASxpt and start building SAS xpt-connected apps with Servoy. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.