Connect to SAP ByDesign Data from PowerBuilder via ODBC

The CData ODBC Driver for SAP ByDesign can be used from any platform or development technology that supports ODBC, including PowerBuilder. This article shows how to connect to SAP ByDesign data and execute queries from the Database Painter and controls such as the DataWindow.

Connect to SAP ByDesign as an ODBC Data Source

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.

Set the following connection properties to connect to SAP ByDesign.

• Url: Set this to the Url of your SAP ByDesign site. For example, https://test.sapbydesign.com
• User: Set this to the username of your account.
• Password: Set this to the password of your account.
• CustomService or AnalyticsService: Only one of these must be specified. If you have a custom service you want to retrieve data from, specify CustomService. If you want to retrieve the reports of a analytical service, specify AnalyticsService.
  If neither is specified, 'cc_home_analytics.svc' will used as a default for the AnalyticsService property. If you are not sure what service to specify, you can always query the Services view to list available services.

Create a Profile for the ODBC Driver for SAP ByDesign

Follow the steps below to use the Database Painter tool to create a database profile based on an ODBC DSN (data source name) for SAP ByDesign. In the Database Painter, you can use wizards and the UI to work with SAP ByDesign data.

1. In PowerBuilder, click Tools -> Database Painter.
2. In the Objects window in the Database Painter, right-click the ODBC node and click New Profile.
3. On the Connection tab, enter a name for the profile and select the SAP ByDesign DSN in the Data Source menu. 👁 The ODBC DSN, required to create the Database Profile. (Salesforce is shown.)
   
4. To view and modify a table, right-click a table and then click Edit Data -> Grid.

Using SAP ByDesign Data with PowerBuilder Controls

You can use standard PowerBuilder objects to connect to ODBC data sources and execute queries. The following example shows how to retrieve SAP ByDesign data into a DataWindow. You can add the following code to the open method:

SQLCA.DBMS = "ODBC"
SQLCA.DBParm = "ConnectString='DSN=CData SAPByDesign Source'"
CONNECT USING SQLCA;
dw_[inventory balance].SetTransObject(SQLCA);
dw_[inventory balance].Retrieve();