Databases in Lazarus

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Aim

This page aims to provide a general overview of using databases in Lazaraus, and to provide a home from which other database pages can be linked

Datasets

Database use in Lazarus (or FreePascal) is fundamentally based on the TDataset class. This represents a table or query to your application. However, like many other such fundamental classes, you don't use the TDataset class it self, you use a descendant of it. There are many of these. They provide access to different kinds of databases, such as local dbase or text files, or back-end databases such as PostgreSQL, Firebird, MySQl and so forth. Some dataset descendants link directly to database tables, while others use additional components or libraries to perform the link.

The Databases page documents such descendants.

Dataset descendants, being non-visual components are (usually) part of the Free Component Library (FCL) rather than the Lazarus Component Library (LCL).

Using Datasets

Datasets can be used both programmatically and with visual controls. A typical Lazarus database application will often use both methods. In either case, the first step is to create the TDataset descendant, initialise it to connect to the table or query you want, and open it. This can be done either in code at run time or by putting a component on your form and setting it's properties at design time. The details of this vary considerably with different TDataset descendants, so see the various guides under Databases for what has to be done for your database.

When the dataset is opened, a set of field components are created, one for each field or column of the table or query you opened. Each field component is a descendant of TField, appropriate to the particular data type of the field, eg, TStringField.

Using datasets from code

Programmatic access will be explained in more detail in Using Dataset and Field components, but as a very simple overview:

  • Use the TDataset descendant to open the table or query, filter the rows you want to see, and to move from row to row.
  • Use the TField descendants to access general information about fields
  • Also use the TField descendants to access the specific data values for the current row. (use the As... properties, such as AsString, AsInteger, etc.)
  • Access the fields of a TDataset descendant by using the fields property, eg Fields[0] is the first field, or by using the FieldByName method, eg FieldByName('AGE') returns the field associated with the database field called 'AGE'

Using the visual (data-aware) controls

To use databases in a simple, "RAD" style Lazarus application, you usually configure the dataset descendant at design time and the use the data-aware controls. To do this:

  • Add the dataset descendant for the database of your choice, together with any supporting components, to your form, and open it (Set the 'Active' property to true)
  • Add a TDatasource component (from the "Data Access" tab) to the form, and "link" it to the dataset (set the DataSet property)
  • Add data-aware controls from the "Data Controls" tab to the form, and link each one to the DataSource (not dataset) component
  • Most controls link to a single field, so you also need to set the Field for each tab.

See below for more details on the controls

Dataset State