Universal Data Access Components - Editions - Devart Software
Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional: A Powerful and Flexible Solution for Universal Data Access
If you are a developer who works with multiple databases and platforms, you know how challenging it can be to manage data access, performance, security, and compatibility issues. You need a reliable and versatile tool that can handle any data access scenario and provide you with the best possible results.
Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional
That's why you need Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional, a library of components that provides direct access to multiple databases from Delphi and C++Builder, as well as Lazarus (and Free Pascal) on Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android for both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms.
In this article, we will show you what Devart UniDAC is, why you need it, how to install and use it, and how to get the most out of it. By the end of this article, you will be able to leverage the power and flexibility of Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional for your universal data access needs.
What is Devart UniDAC and why you need it
Devart UniDAC overview
Devart UniDAC stands for Universal Data Access Components. It is a library of components that allows you to connect to various databases using a common interface, without writing any database-specific code. You can use Devart UniDAC to access Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, InterBase (Firebird), PostgreSQL, SQLite, DBF, ASE (SAP Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise), MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis, BigQuery, Salesforce, Dynamics CRM, Zoho CRM, SugarCRM, QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks Online, MailChimp Online databases.
Devart UniDAC supports both direct connectivity and client/server mode for data access. Direct connectivity means that you can connect to a database directly without using any additional libraries or drivers. This improves the speed and security of data access, as well as simplifies the deployment process. Client/server mode means that you can connect to a database using its native client library or driver. This allows you to use all the features and functionality of the database server.
Devart UniDAC also supports cross-platform development for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. You can use the same code base to create applications for different platforms without any modifications. This saves you time and effort in developing and maintaining your applications.
Devart UniDAC features and benefits
Devart UniDAC offers many features and benefits that make it a powerful and flexible solution for universal data access. Some of these features and benefits are:
High performance: Devart UniDAC provides fast and reliable data access by using optimized code and advanced data access algorithms. You can also use direct connectivity for faster data transfer without any overhead.
Easy-to-use: Devart UniDAC provides a simple and intuitive interface that allows you to configure and connect to databases with just a few clicks. You can also use visual components to design your user interface and work with data in a convenient way.
Comprehensive support: Devart UniDAC supports a wide range of databases and platforms that cover most of the data access scenarios. You can use the same code and components to access different databases and platforms without any changes. You can also use additional components to access various cloud services and online databases.
Advanced functionality: Devart UniDAC provides many features and options that enhance the functionality and performance of your data access. You can use data encryption and decryption, data compression, caching, pooling, batch operations, asynchronous execution, scripting, notifications, and more.
Data protection: Devart UniDAC provides several mechanisms to protect your data from unauthorized access and modification. You can use SSL/TLS encryption, SSH tunneling, secure authentication, data integrity checks, and more.
Compatibility: Devart UniDAC is compatible with the latest versions of Delphi and C++Builder, as well as Lazarus (and Free Pascal). You can also use Devart UniDAC with various IDEs, frameworks, libraries, and tools that support data access components.
As you can see, Devart UniDAC is a powerful and flexible solution for universal data access that can meet your needs and expectations. Whether you need to access a single database or multiple databases, whether you need to develop for a single platform or multiple platforms, whether you need to use basic functionality or advanced functionality, Devart UniDAC has you covered.
How to install and use Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional
Downloading and installing Devart UniDAC
To download and install Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional, you need to follow these steps:
Go to the official website of Devart UniDAC and click on the Download button. You will be redirected to the download page where you can choose the edition and the platform of Devart UniDAC that suits your needs. For this article, we will choose the Professional edition for Windows 32-bit/64-bit.
After choosing the edition and the platform, click on the Download Trial button. You will be asked to fill in a form with your name, email address, company name, country, and phone number. After filling in the form, click on the Submit button. You will receive an email with a link to download the trial version of Devart UniDAC.
Click on the link in the email to download the trial version of Devart UniDAC. The file name will be something like unidac28pro.exe. Save the file to your preferred location on your computer.
Run the downloaded file to start the installation process. You will see a welcome screen where you can choose the language of the installation wizard. Click on the Next button to continue.
You will see a license agreement screen where you need to read and accept the terms of the license agreement. Click on the I Agree button to continue.
You will see a destination folder screen where you can choose the folder where you want to install Devart UniDAC. You can use the default folder or browse for another folder. Click on the Next button to continue.
You will see a select components screen where you can choose which components of Devart UniDAC you want to install. You can select all components or customize your selection according to your needs. Click on the Next button to continue.
You will see a select IDEs screen where you can choose which IDEs you want to integrate Devart UniDAC with. You can select all IDEs or customize your selection according to your needs. Click on the Next button to continue.
You will see a ready to install screen where you can review your installation settings and start the installation process. Click on the Install button to begin installing Devart UniDAC.
You will see a progress screen where you can monitor the installation process. Wait until the installation is completed.
You will see a finish screen where you can finalize the installation process. You can choose to launch Devart UniDAC Demo Center or read Devart UniDAC documentation. Click on the Finish button to exit the installation wizard.
Congratulations! You have successfully downloaded and installed Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional on your computer. Now you are ready to use it for your universal data access needs.
Configuring and connecting to databases
To configure and connect to databases using Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional, you need to follow these steps:
Open the IDE that you integrated Devart UniDAC with, such as Delphi or C++Builder.
Create a new project or open an existing one.
Add a TUniConnection component to your project. This component represents a connection to a database server.
Set the Provider property of the TUniConnection component to the database provider that you want to use, such as Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, etc.
Set the ConnectString property of the TUniConnection component to the connection information that you need to connect to the database server, such as username, password, server, database, etc. You can use an ODBC-like syntax to specify the connection information in a single string. For example: Server=MyServer;User ID=MyUser;Password=MyPassword;Database=MyDatabase
Alternatively, you can set the individual properties of the TUniConnection component that correspond to the connection information, such as Username, Password, Server, Database, etc.
Optionally, you can set other properties of the TUniConnection component that affect the connection behavior and performance, such as Direct, Port, Pooling, Encrypt, etc. For more information about these properties, please refer to the Devart UniDAC documentation.
Call the Open method of the TUniConnection component to establish the connection to the database server. You can also use the Connected property to check or change the connection status.
Congratulations! You have successfully configured and connected to a database server using Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional. Now you can use other components of Devart UniDAC to work with data from the database server.
Working with data access components
To work with data access components using Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional, you need to follow these steps:
Add a data access component to your project that matches your data access scenario. For example, you can use TUniQuery to execute SQL queries and retrieve data from a single table or multiple tables. You can also use TUniTable to access data from a single table without writing any SQL queries. There are other data access components that you can use for different purposes, such as TUniStoredProc, TUniSQL, TUniScript, etc.
Set the Connection property of the data access component to the TUniConnection component that you created and configured in the previous step. This will link the data access component to the database server that you connected to.
Set the SQL property of the data access component to the SQL statement that you want to execute on the database server. For example: SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEES. You can also use parameters and macros in your SQL statements for more flexibility and security.
Call the Open method of the data access component to execute the SQL statement and retrieve data from the database server. You can also use the Active property to check or change the data access status.
Use the Fields property of the data access component to access the fields of the retrieved data. You can use various methods and properties of the fields to manipulate and display the data. For example, you can use the AsString, AsInteger, AsFloat, AsBoolean, etc. methods to get the values of the fields as different data types. You can also use the DisplayLabel, DisplayWidth, ReadOnly, Visible, etc. properties to control how the fields are displayed in your user interface.
Use the DataSource property of the data access component to link it to a data source component, such as TDataSource. This will allow you to use data-aware components, such as TDBGrid, TDBEdit, TDBMemo, etc. to display and edit the data from the data access component in your user interface. You can also use various events and methods of the data source component to handle data changes and validations.
Use the Post method of the data access component to apply any changes that you made to the data to the database server. You can also use the Cancel method to discard any changes that you made to the data. You can also use the ApplyUpdates and CancelUpdates methods to apply or cancel changes in batch mode.
Congratulations! You have successfully worked with data access components using Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional. Now you can use Devart UniDAC to create powerful and flexible applications that can access any database from any platform.
How to get the most out of Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional
Using direct connectivity for faster and more secure data access
One of the main advantages of Devart UniDAC is that it supports direct connectivity for most of the supported databases. Direct connectivity means that you can connect to a database server directly without using any additional libraries or drivers. This has several benefits, such as:
Faster data access: Direct connectivity eliminates the overhead and latency of using intermediate layers for data access. This improves the speed and efficiency of data transfer between your application and the database server.
More secure data access: Direct connectivity reduces the risk of data leakage and tampering by avoiding unnecessary exposure of your data through intermediate layers. This enhances the security and integrity of your data.
Simpler deployment: Direct connectivity simplifies the deployment process of your application by eliminating the need to install and configure any additional libraries or drivers on your target machine. This saves you time and hassle in deploying your application.
To use direct connectivity with Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional, you need to follow these steps:
Set the Provider property of the TUniConnection component to the database provider that supports direct connectivity, such as Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, etc.
Set the Direct property of the TUniConnection component to True. This will enable direct connectivity for your connection.
Set the other properties of the TUniConnection component that are required for direct connectivity, such as Server, Port, Database, etc.
Call the Open method of the TUniConnection component to establish a direct connection to the database server.
Congratulations! You have successfully used direct connectivity with Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional. Now you can enjoy faster and more secure data access with your application.
Using additional components for enhanced functionality and performance
Another advantage of Devart UniDAC is that it provides additional components that enhance the functionality and performance of your data access. These components include:
TUniLoader: This component allows you to load large amounts of data into a database server quickly and efficiently. You can use this component to perform bulk inserts, updates, or deletes of data from a data set or a file.
TUniDump: This component allows you to export data from a database server to a file in various formats, such as SQL, CSV, XML, HTML, etc. You can use this component to backup, restore, or transfer data between different databases or platforms.
TUniMetaData: This component allows you to retrieve and manipulate metadata information from a database server. You can use this component to access information about tables, views, columns, indexes, procedures, parameters, etc.
TUniMonitor: This component allows you to monitor and trace the activity of your data access components. You can use this component to debug, optimize, or audit your data access operations.
TUniEncryptor: This component allows you to encrypt and decrypt data using various algorithms, such as AES, DES, Blowfish, etc. You can use this component to protect your sensitive data from unauthorized access or modification.
TUniGUIApplication: This component allows you to create cross-platform web applications using Devart UniDAC components. You can use this component to create web applications that can run on any browser and device without any plugins or extensions.
To use additional components with Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional, you need to follow these steps:
Add an additional component to your project that matches your data access scenario. For example, you can use TUniLoader to load data into a database server from a file.
Set the Connection property of the additional component to the TUniConnection component that you created and configured in the previous step. This will link the additional component to the database server that you connected to.
Set the other properties of the additional component that are required for its functionality and performance. For example, you can set the FileName property of the TUniLoader component to the name of the file that contains the data that you want to load.
Call the appropriate method of the additional component to execute its functionality and performance. For example, you can call the Execute method of the TUniLoader component to load data into the database server from the file.
Congratulations! You have successfully used additional components with Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional. Now you can use Devart UniDAC to create more powerful and flexible applications that can handle any data access scenario.
Using data encryption and decryption for data protection
One more advantage of Devart UniDAC is that it supports data encryption and decryption for data protection. Data encryption and decryption means that you can encrypt and decrypt your data before sending it or after receiving it from a database server. This has several benefits, such as:
Data confidentiality: Data encryption and decryption ensures that only authorized parties can access and read your data. This prevents unauthorized parties from stealing or spying on your data.
Data integrity: Data encryption and decryption ensures that your data is not altered or corrupted during transmission or storage. This prevents unauthorized parties from modifying or damaging your data.
Data compliance: Data encryption and decryption helps you comply with various regulations and standards that require data protection. This avoids legal issues and penalties for violating data protection laws.
To use data encryption and decryption with Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional, you need to follow these steps:
Add a TUniEncryptor component to your project. This component allows you to encrypt and decrypt data using various algorithms, such as AES, DES, Blowfish, etc.
Set the Connection property of the TUniEncryptor component to the TUniConnection component that you created and configured in the previous step. This will link the TUniEncryptor component to the database server that you connected to.
Set the Algorithm property of the TUniEncryptor component to the encryption algorithm that you want to use, such as aes256, des, blowfish, etc.
Set the Password property of the TUniEncryptor component to the password that you want to use for encryption and decryption. You can also use the Key and IV properties to specify the encryption key and initialization vector.
Set the Mode property of the TUniEncryptor component to the encryption mode that you want to use, such as ecmDefault, ecmBeforeConnect, ecmAfterConnect, or ecmBoth. This determines when and how the data encryption and decryption will take place.
Call the Encrypt or Decrypt method of the TUniEncryptor component to encrypt or decrypt data manually. You can also use the OnEncrypt and OnDecrypt events of the TUniEncryptor component to handle data encryption and decryption automatically.
Congratulations! You have successfully used data encryption and decryption with Devart UniDAC v8.0.1 Professional. Now you can use Devart UniDAC to protect your