Connect to Access Data in JRuby

JRuby is a high-performance, stable, fully threaded Java implementation of the Ruby programming language. The CData JDBC Driver for Access makes it easy to integrate connectivity to live Access data in JRuby. This article shows how to create a simple JRuby app that connects to Access data, executes a query, and displays the results.

Configure a JDBC Connection to Access Data

Before creating the app, note the installation location for the JAR file for the JDBC Driver (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Access\lib).

JRuby natively supports JDBC, so you can easily connect to Access and execute SQL queries. Initialize the JDBC connection with the getConnection function of the java.sql.DriverManager class.

To connect, set the DataSource property to the path to the Access database.

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

java -jar cdata.jdbc.access.jar

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

Below is a typical JDBC connection string for Access:

jdbc:access:DataSource=C:/MyDB.accdb;

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to Access Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: AccessSelect.rb) and open it in a text editor. Copy the following code into your file:

require 'java'
require 'rubygems'
require 'C:/Program Files/CData/CData JDBC Driver for Access 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.access.jar'

url = "jdbc:access:DataSource=C:/MyDB.accdb;"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT OrderName, Freight FROM Orders")
while (rs.next) do
 puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

With the file completed, you are ready to display your Access data with JRuby. To do so, simply run your file from the command line:

jruby -S AccessSelect.rb

Writing SQL-92 queries to Access allows you to quickly and easily incorporate Access data into your own JRuby applications. Download a free trial today!