Database Wizard for ODBC Data Sources

This section describes how to work with Desktop Designer Step-by-Step Database Wizard when adding an ODBC data source.

The Microsoft® ODBC Data Source Administrator manages database drivers and data sources. This application is located in the Windows Control Panel under Administrative Tools.

For information about detailed ODBC Administrator procedures, open the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box and click Help.

Step 1: Connection information

This step defines the database connection details.

Connection Information group defines the type of database that is going to be used with ODBC connection.

  • Data Source: defines the database to retrieve the data from. Databases that are listed in the dropdown list are managed using the ODBC Administrator.

  • Driver: displays the database driver according to the selected data source.

Authentication group includes a user name and password fields for the ODBC connection. User authentication is necessary in certain cases – e.g., if SQL authentication is required when connecting to an SQL server.

  • User name: enter the correct user name to access the ODBC database.

  • Password: enter the correct password to access the ODBC database.

Note

Username and password are always shown. Their use depends on the database administration policy.

ODBC Administrator button opens the system ODBC administration dialog. See more details about the dialog here.

Test Connection button starts a connection testing procedure. It checks if Desktop Designer can successfully connect to the database.

Step 2: Tables and Fields

Tables group allows you to select which tables of the connected database should be used as a data source.

  • Available tables: available tables in the selected database.

  • Selected tables: tables that are used as a data source.

Click Add > or < Remove buttons to add or remove the tables from the Selected fields.

Note

When editing an existing database, a table cannot be removed if used in a script, function, action, or connected to a label or form object.

Step 3: Label Copies Per Record

This step specifies the number of label copies to be printed for each database record.

Fixed number of printed labels lets you insert the number of copies manually.

Dynamically defined number of printed labels sets the number dynamically using a data source value.

Example 50. Example:

The number of printed records can be defined using a variable value. Its value may be set in another label or form object.


Use the same record for entire print job prints out the single selected record on the entire range of labels in a print job.

Click Next to proceed or Finish to continue working with the object.

Read more about how to define the number of printed copies here.

Step 4: Create Objects

This step lets you decide whether new Text objects that display the content retrieved from database fields should be added to a label/form or not.

Create Objects step is visible when:

  • Starting the database wizard from Data tab ribbon and adding a new database by clicking the database button.

  • Starting the wizard in Dynamic Data Explorer or using a generic object Add database selector.

Tip

The Create Objects step differs if you are adding a database while designing a label or a form. See the differences below.

Create Objects step for label designing:

  • Create a label text object for each field: adds a Text object that contains database field content.

  • Do not create any label objects: skips adding new objects.

Create Objects step for form designing:

  • Create an edit field object for each field: adds an edit field object to the form. The added object(s) contains database field content.

  • Create a form table object: adds a database table object to a form. The added object(s) contains database field content.

  • Do not create any label objects: skips adding new objects.

Note

The number of added objects depends on the number of fields in the database.

Click Next.

Step 5: Data Preview and Other Table Settings

This step gives a preview of the data retrieved from the database. It also offers additional table settings such as filtering and sorting.

Data tab displays a preview of data retrieved from the database file. You can use search controls at the top of the preview section to find a specific record.

Note

Data preview shows up to 1000 rows.

Filter tab filters out the database file records. It allows you to define filtering conditions to be used when retrieving the data.

  • Add condition: specifies single line condition(s) that filters out the content that meets the set criteria.

  • Add group: specifies group(s) of conditions that filter out the content that meets the set criteria.

Sorting tab allows you to sort the retrieved data. Sorting is done for all of the fields that are added to the sorting list. Each field can be in ascending or descending order.

Data Retrieving tab defines how the data should be retrieved from the connected database file. Details on data retrieving settings and options are available here.

SQL tab offers a preview of the generated SQL statements.

Read more details about database table configuration here.

Click Finish. The database is ready to be used as a label or form object data source.