IBM DB2 Universal DataBase & Borland RAD Tools
A new portal has been created to support the cooperation between IBM's DB2 and Borland's RAD development environments such as Delphi, C++Builder, Kylix, C#Builder and Delphi for .NET.
I have written 34 articles for this web portal, of which 30 articles were published by FTP and available online (articles published directly by IBM appear at the bottom of the list below):
- Connect Delphi 7 to DB2 with dbExpress (Oct 2002)
This article shows you how to use IBM DB2 as the database for applications written with Borland Delphi 7 Studio and dbExpress.
Specific topics include how to connect the seven dbExpress components to DB2 and use them to build visual forms on top of database tables.
- Display and Modify DB2 Master-Detail Data in Borland Delphi 7 Apps (Nov 2002)
This article shows how to extend a Delphi application for creating data relationships, and for displaying and updating data.
- The Big Switch: Moving from Windows to Linux with Kylix 3 (Nov 2002)
One of the great things about using tools and databases such as Borland Delphi 7 Studio and IBM DB2 Universal Database is that moving between platforms is only a matter of a few changes and a recompile.
In this article, I take you through the process, with the following results:
- Build DB2 and Delphi 7 Internet Applications with WebSnap (Nov 2002)
With Delphi 7 WebSnap technology, you can quickly take data from an IBM DB2 Universal Database and move it to a Web-based browser application in, well, a snap.
In this article, I show you step by step how to move the application to the Web.
- Create Distributed DB2 and Delphi Web Apps with DataSnap (Dec 2002)
This article shows you how to create distributed applications with thin clients and a database server tier using Borland Delphi/Kylix/C++Builder and DB2.
- DB2 and Delphi 7 — SOAP and Database Web Services (Dec 2002)
This article shows you how to create a cross-platform Web service with SOAP using IBM DB2 and Borland Delphi and Kylix.
- DB2 and C++ – True RAD With C++Builder (Feb 2003)
This article shows you how to build database applications using Borland C++Builder and IBM DB2 Universal Database.
- Data Entry Input Validation With Delphi, Kylix, and C++Builder (Mar 2003)
Dr.Bob shows you how to build data entry forms on top of IBM DB2 Universal Database as database tables and records, and how to perform data entry input validation using Borland Delphi Studio, Borland Kylix, and Borland C++Builder Studio.
- Drill into DB2 UDB Tables for Decision Support Using Delphi Studio or C++Builder Studio (Apr 2003)
This article demonstrates how you can build decision-support functionality by drilling into IBM DB2 Universal Database tables using the Decision Cube component of Borland Delphi Studio or Borland C++Builder Studio.
- DB2 UDB and SOAP: Database Web Services Follow-up with DataSnap (May 2003)
This article shows how to add authentication to DataSnap applications using a special Login method; points out that the importance of combining this with SSL certificates for increased security; and describes how to deploy the DataSnap server application on a Web server machine.
- Connecting Borland C#Builder to DB2 UDB with Borland Data Providers for the .NET Framework (May 2003)
A first public article on C#Builer is available on the IBM-Borland web portal about Connecting Borland C#Builder to DB2 UDB with Borland Data Providers for the Microsoft .NET Framework.
This article shows how to use Borland C#Builder Enterprise and the Borland Data Providers (BDP) for .NET to connect to the DB2 SAMPLE database. It shows how three of the four BDP for .NET components are used at design-time in a Rapid Application Development (RAD) way.
- Working With DB2 Universal Database Tables Using C#Builder With ADO.NET and BDP for .NET (June 2003)
This article shows how DB2 UDB can be accessed using the Borland Data Providers for .NET, enhancing the ADO.NET experience with design-time and run-time support, including automatic (optimized) SQL command generation. In this environment, DB2 UDB proves to be a powerful DBMS on the .NET Framework.
- ASP.NET Web Forms with DB2 UDB Tables using C#Builder and BDP for .NET (July 2003)
This article shows you how to build an application using IBM DB2 UDB tables, C#Builder, and BDP for .NET, and then deploy it as an ASP.NET Web form (with a powerful asp:DataGrid control), so users can work with the DB2 UDB tables using a Web browser.
- Working with Data in DB2 UDB Tables Using C#Builder and ASP.NET (Oct 2003)
This article builds on the earlier article that showed how to build an application using IBM DB2 UDB tables, C#Builder, and BDP for .NET, and then deploy it as an ASP.NET Web form (with a powerful asp:DataGrid control).
In this article, I take the example a bit further, to allow users not only to view the data and browse through the tables, but also to update the data or delete records from the asp:DataGrid.
- Migrating from SQL Links to dbExpress using IBM DB2 (Dec 2003)
In this article, I demonstrate two different data access technologies from Borland that are available to Delphi (and C++Builder) developers when they want to connect to IBM DB2 Universal Database (UDB) tables, and when they want to work with the data inside those DB2 tables.
- Accessing DB2 Universal Database Tables with Delphi for .NET (Dec 2003)
In this article, I show how Borland Delphi 8 for the Microsoft .NET Framework lets you build native .NET applications that connect to IBM DB2 UDB tables, display the data in a DataGrid, and edit, apply, or undo changes in the database tables.
As data access technology, I use both dbExpress - a cross-platform data access framework - and the new Borland Data Providers for ADO.NET, both of which contain drivers for DB2 UDB.
- Using Delphi for .NET to work with DB2 database tables in ASP.NET Web pages (Jan 2004)
This article shows how to use Borland Delphi 8 for the Microsoft .NET Framework to build ASP.NET Web applications that connect to IBM DB2 Universal Database tables; display the data in a special ASP.NET DataGrid control; and edit, apply, or undo changes in these database tables.
- Using Delphi for .NET to design an object model for a DB2 database (Jan 2004)
This article demonstrates how to use the Architect edition of Borland Delphi 8 for the Microsoft .NET Framework, and specifically the functionality found in the Borland Enterprise Core Objects section, to design an Object Model that is made persistent inside the DB2 UDB SAMPLE database.
- DB2 ASP.NET input validation with Delphi for .NET and C#Builder (Feb 2004)
This article demonstrates several ways to perform data entry input validation in ASP.NET applications which access DB2 UDB database tables, using Borland Delphi 8 for .NET and Borland C#Builder.
- Accessing DB2 Universal Database tables using ASP.NET Web Services written in Delphi 8 for .NET (Feb 2004)
This article shows how to use Delphi 8 for .NET to build an ASP.NET Web Service application that publishes the data tables from the DB2 UDB SAMPLE database to the outside world.
- Working with DB2 Universal Database tables using ASP.NET Web Services written in Delphi 8 for .NET (Mar 2004)
This article shows how to extend an ASP.NET Web Service application (covered in the previous article) to let clients update the database.
- Use Delphi 8 visual controls that bind to DB2 data tables (Apr 2004)
This article uses Delphi 8 for .NET and the data-aware controls from the Visual Component Library to bind to DB2 UDB tables.
- Kylix 3 for C++ and IBM DB2 UDB v8.1 on Linux (Apr 2004)
This article shows how to use the C++ edition of Kylix 3 to work with IBM DB2 UDB tables.
- DB2 Web Server applications on Linux with Kylix 3 (and WebSnap) (May 2004)
This article shows how to build a Web server application using Kylix 3, exposing the IBM DB2 UDB SAMPLE database on the Web.
- DB2 Web service engines on Linux with Kylix 3: Part 1 (June 2004)
This article demonstrates how to build a SOAP Web service engine with Kylix 3 on Linux, exposing the data from DB2 UDB database tables to the outside world.
I'll start by building the server-side "engine" on Linux, exposing the data from the DB2 UDB SAMPLE database, but without the presentation layer.
In the next article, I'll build the user interface for this presentation layer, which can be on either Linux or Windows.
- DB2 thin clients connecting to Linux Web service engines: Part 2 (July 2004)
This article demonstrates how to build the user interface (a thin-client application) for a SOAP Web service engine with Kylix 3 on Linux, exposing the data from DB2 UDB database tables to the outside world.
It's the follow-up of the DB2 Web Service engines on Linux with Kylix 3 article.
- Producing dynamic data-entry forms from DB2 tables on Linux (July 2004)
This article uses Kylix 3 on Linux and the Borland dbExpress data access drivers to analyze the DB2 UDB database tables, fields (names and types) to allow the user to select a specific table, toggle which fields should be shown, and dynamically view the output in both a datagrid and individual data-aware controls.
- Producing dynamic data-entry forms from DB2 tables for Delphi (Aug 2004)
This article examines IBM DB2 Universal Database metadata in order to dynamically build views and forms, including how to dynamically generate a new CLX form and stream the form as a Delphi .pas and .xfm file, ready to be added to Kylix and Delphi CLX projects.
- Use Delphi code to create/drop DB2 UDB database tables (Sept 2004)
This article illustrates the design and implementation of a Delphi application you can use to create or drop DB2 UDB tables.
This article provides several examples of sending SQL DDL to the DB2 DBMS using Delphi and the cross-platform dbExpress data access technologies.
- Work with IBM DB2 UDB databases and SQL in Delphi for .NET (Sept 2004)
This article, a follow-up to the SQL DDL article, Using Delphi code to create/drop DB2 UDB database tables, focuses on the use of SQL queries to build simple and more complex SQL SELECT queries to end up with master-detail relations.
I also examine SQL joins in detail, covering examples of inner joins, left/right outer joins, and the differences between these joins.
The following four articles have been written in 2004, and are now being published on the IBM DeveloperWorks website directly by IBM (and no longer using FTP):
- Working with DB2 Stored Procedures in Delphi 2005
This article focusses on DB2 Stored Procedures, shows what they can do, how they work, and demonstrates the stored procedures in the IBM DB2 UDB SAMPLE database in a Delphi 2005 for .NET client application.
- Multi-tier DB2 database applications using Delphi 2005
In this article I will use the new DataSync and DataHub components in Delphi 2005 to demonstrate data access on IBM DB2 UDB database tables using the Borland Data Provider. I will also explain that any other ADO.NET compliant data provider can be used here (like IBM's own .NET provider for IBM DB2 UDB).
After I've described the steps to build a simple database application, I will split the application in two parts: a server part that communicates with the IBM DB2 UDB database, and a client part that will be made independent of the database, and communicates only with the server application. Two new Delphi 2005 components are used to connect the client and the server: a RemoteServer at the server side, and a RemoteConnection at the client side. I will demonstrate that multiple clients can connect to a single server, sharing the connection to the IBM DB2 UDB database.
- IBM DB2 databases and ECO (Delphi 2005)
In this article I will use Borland Delphi 2005 and the Enterprise Core Objects (ECO) to import an IBM DB2 UDB database and create an UML object model for it, which is the bases for a .NET WinForms application. The object model (called EcoSpace) will use the IBM DB2 database as persistence layer, and can be used to connect to user controls (like DataGrids), offering drag-and-drop, autoforms (for individual items), save, undo, redo, etc. all on top of the IBM DB2 UDB database tables.
- IBM DB2 databases with ECO and ASP.NET (Delphi 2005)
This article is a follow-up of the previous ECO article (which produced a WinForms application). This time, the result and focus is on an ASP.NET web application, while still using the IBM DB2 UDB database as basis for the imported EcoSpace, presenting the UML model of the data and generating ASP.NET web forms.
