Connect to SAP Data in JRuby

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

Getting Started

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Configure a JDBC Connection to SAP 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 SAP\lib).

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

The driver supports connecting to an SAP system using the SAP Java Connector (SAP JCo). Install the files (sapjco3.jar and sapjco3.dll) to the appropriate directory for the hosting application or platform. See the "Getting Started" chapter in the help documentation for information on using the SAP JCo files.

In addition, you can connect to an SAP system using Web services (SOAP). To use Web services, you must enable SOAP access to your SAP system and set the Client, RFCUrl, User, and Password properties, under the Authentication section.

For more information, see this guide on obtaining the connection properties needed to connect to any SAP system.

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

java -jar cdata.jdbc.saperp.jar

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

Below is a typical JDBC connection string for SAP:

jdbc:saperp:Host=sap.mydomain.com;User=EXT90033;Password=xxx;Client=800;System Number=09;ConnectionType=Classic;Location=C:/mysapschemafolder;

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to SAP Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: SAPERPSelect.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 SAP 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.saperp.jar'

url = "jdbc:saperp:Host=sap.mydomain.com;User=EXT90033;Password=xxx;Client=800;System Number=09;ConnectionType=Classic;Location=C:/mysapschemafolder;"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT MANDT, MBRSH FROM MARA")
while (rs.next) do
 puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

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

jruby -S SAPERPSelect.rb

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