TODBCConnection without ODBC driver installation (DB2) (Win 64-bit)
lazarus / 16-Databases

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kedat · 2024-04-04 07:44

[UPDATE] - see solution with ZeosLib in the posts below.

Hi,
I'm able to connect (DB2 through TODBCConnection) when ODBC driver is
defined/installed.
I'm not using DSN since I enter all parameters during the runtime:
Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]window.onload = function(){var x1 =
document.getElementById("main_content_section"); if (x1) { var x =
document.getElementsByClassName("geshi");for (var i = 0; i ODBCConnect
ion.Params.Add('DRIVER=[..]');ODBCConnection.Params.Add('DATABASE=[..]
');ODBCConnection.Params.Add('HOSTNAME=[..]');ODBCConnection.Params.Ad
d('PORT=[..]');ODBCConnection.Params.Add('UID=[..]');ODBCConnection.Pa
rams.Add('PWD=[..]');
What I would like to omit/substitute is the DRIVER part:
Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]window.onload = function(){var x1 =
document.getElementById("main_content_section"); if (x1) { var x =
document.getElementsByClassName("geshi");for (var i = 0; i
 ODBCConnection.Params.Add('DRIVER=[..]);
Driver is simply defined by pointing to the *.dll file, so I see no
reason why this could not be done during the run time and by including
the *.dll with the application
Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]window.onload = function(){var x1 =
document.getElementById("main_content_section"); if (x1) { var x =
document.getElementsByClassName("geshi");for (var i = 0; i
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBCINST.INI\IBM DATA SERVER DRIVER
for ODBC]   "Driver"="C:\\[..]\\db2clio.dll"
I was trying to use TSQLDBLibraryLoader with ConnectionType = ODBC but
this does not work - TODBCConnection still asking for DRIVER
definition.

Reason I'm trying to accomplish this is that now it is required that
all users would have to install this driver (which requires admin
rights etc...) and it seems to me that the db2clio.dll is the only
missing part.

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kedat · 2024-04-09 08:16

I think I've solved it with ZeosLib 8.0.0-release. Works even at
design time in Laz IDE.
Trick is to provide part of connection string in the Database property
(TZConnection):
Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]window.onload = function(){var x1 =
document.getElementById("main_content_section"); if (x1) { var x =
document.getElementsByClassName("geshi");for (var i = 0; i
Database=[..];Hostname=[..];Port=[..];
Provide User and Password in respective properties of TZConnection.
Then, Protocol to odbc_a or odbc_w.
Lastly, LibraryLocation to db2clio.dll - at design time absolute path
ofc.

At runtime just change LibraryLocation to relative path, I have:
Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]window.onload = function(){var x1 =
document.getElementById("main_content_section"); if (x1) { var x =
document.getElementsByClassName("geshi");for (var i = 0; i  
driverLocation := ExtractFilePath(Application.Exename) + 'driver' +  
directoryseparator + 'bin' + directoryseparator + 'db2clio.dll'; 
Probably driver/cli content of the IBM package (here
v11.5.9_ntx64_odbc_cli.zip) can be slimmed down (right bitness, etc.)
- but it uses quite a bit of included libraries, I'm not sure how to
leave right ones only other then by trial and error...

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marsupilami79 · 2024-04-10 09:09

Hello kedat

even the original author of the Zeos ODBC driverd didn't know this
works and was surprised (and happy). I took the liberty to add your
post to our wiki: Using an ODBC driver without installing it

Also we don't have experience, how Zeos works with DB2. If there are
problems let me know or contact us as the forums. If it works well for
you, I would like to know that too.

Best regards,

Jan

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kedat · 2024-04-10 15:03

Quote from: marsupilami79 on April 10, 2024, 11:09:07 ameven the
original author of the Zeos ODBC driverd didn't know this works and
was surprised (and happy). I took the liberty to add your post to our
wiki:
Great to hear and thanks for sharing.

It took me quite some time to figure out proper setup - in particular
for the IDE at the design to work properly but it seems it is working
perfectly now.

I was able to slim down the content of the original package: 160 MB =>
72 MB.
Also, seems you can call directly db2app64.dll instead of db2clio.dll
Currently I'm left with the following files:

├───bin
│   │   db2app64.dll
│   │   db2osse64.dll
│   │   db2trcapi64.dll
│   │   IBM.DB2.APP64.manifest
│   │   IBM.DB2.SEC64.manifest
│   │   IBMOSauthclient64.dll
│   │
│   ├───amd64.VC12.CRT [Whole folder]
│   │
│   └───icc64 [Whole folder]
│
└───msg [Whole folder]

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Thaddy · 2024-04-10 15:52

Note that this usually only goes for 32 bit code, since I know of only
one (one, for ms access) odbc driver that is ported to 64 bit. You
must have a very good reason to use odbc....

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kedat · 2024-04-10 17:11

Quote from: Thaddy on April 10, 2024, 05:52:00 pmNote that this
usually only goes for 32 bit code, since I know of only one (one, for
ms access) odbc driver that is ported to 64 bit. You must have a very
good reason to use odbc....
I'm compiling 64 bit app and using 64 bit driver/libraries.