DataBind Controls to Salesforce Data Cloud Data in Delphi

The CData ODBC driver for Salesforce Data Cloud supports the ODBC standard to enable integration of live Salesforce Data Cloud 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 Salesforce Data Cloud data and query data from a simple visual component library (VCL) application, as well as from Delphi code.

Create a Connection to Salesforce Data Cloud 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.

Salesforce Data Cloud supports authentication via the OAuth standard.

OAuth

Set to OAuth.

Desktop Applications

CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies authentication at the desktop.

You can also authenticate from the desktop via a custom OAuth application, which you configure and register at the Salesforce Data Cloud console. For further information, see Creating a Custom OAuth App in the Help documentation.

Before you connect, set these properties:

• : GETANDREFRESH. You can use to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the .
• (custom applications only): The Client ID assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
• (custom applications only): The Client Secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.

When you connect, the driver opens Salesforce Data Cloud's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

The driver then completes the OAuth process as follows:

• Extracts the access token from the callback URL.
• Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
• Saves OAuth values in so that they persist across connections.

For other OAuth methods, including Web Applications and Headless Machines, refer to the Help documentation.

You can then follow the steps below to use the Data Explorer to create a FireDAC connection to Salesforce Data Cloud data.

1. In a new VCL Forms application, expand the FireDAC node in the Data Explorer.
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 Salesforce Data Cloud.
👁 A FireDAC connection to the ODBC data source. (Salesforce is shown.)


Create VCL Applications with Connectivity to Salesforce Data Cloud Data

Follow the procedure below to start executing queries to Salesforce Data Cloud data from a simple VCL application that displays the results of a query in a grid.

1. Drop a TFDConnection component onto the form and set the following properties:

   • ConnectionDefName: Select the FireDAC connection to Salesforce Data Cloud data.
   • Connected: Select True from the menu and, in the dialog that appears, enter your credentials.

2. 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 [Account ID], [Account Name] FROM Account WHERE EmployeeCount > 250
     

   • Active: Set this property to true.

3. 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.

4. Drop a TDBGrid control onto the form and set the following property:

   • DataSource: Select the name of the TDataSource.
5. Drop a TFDGUIxWaitCursor onto the form — this is required to avoid a run-time error.
👁 Components in FireDAC used to databind an editable grid to the data source. (Salesforce is shown.)


Execute Commands to Salesforce Data Cloud with FireDAC Components

You can use the TFDConnection and TFQuery components to execute queries to Salesforce Data Cloud data. This section provides Salesforce Data Cloud data-specific examples of executing queries with the TFQuery component.

Connect to Salesforce Data Cloud 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 := 'mysalesforcedc';
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 Account where EmployeeCount = :EmployeeCount',['250']);

Related Articles

Below you can find other articles for using the CData ODBC Driver with RAD Studio, Delphi, and C++ Builder.

• DataBind Controls to Salesforce Data Cloud Data in C++Builder
• Viewing Salesforce Data Cloud Data in RAD Studio Data Explorer
• Build a Simple VCL Application for Salesforce Data Cloud Data