Can dbExpress's TSQLQuery use ? as parameters?

Question

We've porting code to Delphi XE2, and need to change our data access components from third party ODBCExpress which is no longer in business, to dbExpress's TSQLQuery.

We have parametrized SQL query such as:

sSQL :=
  'UPDATE ZTestData SET '+
  ' StringField =?, '+
  ' IntField = ?, '+
  ' DecimalField = ?, '+
  ' BooleanField = ?, '+
  ' DateTimeField = ?, '+
  ' TextField = ? '+
  ' WHERE UniqueID = 3';

if we use the following code:

var
  qry:TSQLQuery;
begin
  qry.Close;
  qry.SQL.Text := sSQL;
  ShowMessage(IntToStr(qry.Params.Count));
end;

It returns 0, so we're unable to get the bindings working, but if we change sSQL to:

sSQL :=
  'UPDATE ZTestData SET '+
  ' StringField =:Param1, '+
  ' IntField = :Param2, '+
  ' DecimalField = ?, '+
  ' BooleanField = ?, '+
  ' DateTimeField = ?, '+
  ' TextField = ? '+
  ' WHERE UniqueID = 3';

It returns 2.

It's going to be a big hassle to change all the SQL queries to the new parameter syntax. Is there anyway for the TSQLQuery to recognize the ? syntax?

I see that DBXCommon.TDBXCommand uses the ? syntax:

http://www.andreanolanusse.com/en/parameterized-queries-with-dbexpress-dbx-framework/

But it would mean throwing away our code that uses TSQLQuery. What's the quickest/easiest way to resolve this? What's the difference between TSQLQuery and TDBXCommand anyway, in terms of what's relevant to me?

Answer 1

I ended up writing a method to convert question marks in the query to :param1 style parameters. Interestingly, Delphi has a DB.TParams.ParseSQL method that converts parameters to question marks. This method is basically a reverse of that.

function THstmt.AddParamsToSQL(const SQL: String): String;
var
  LiteralChar: Char;
  CurPos, StartPos, BeginPos: PChar;
  ParamCount:Integer;
begin
  //Locates the question marks in an SQL statement
  //and replaces them with parameters.
  //i.e. the reverse of DB.TParams.ParseSQL

  //This method is base on DB.TParams.ParseSQL

  //For example, given the SQL string
  //SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEES WHERE (ID = ?) AND (NAME = ?)

  //ParseSQL returns the string
  //SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEES WHERE (ID = :1) AND (NAME = :2)

  Result := '';

  ParamCount := 0;
  StartPos := PChar(SQL);
  BeginPos := StartPos;
  CurPos := StartPos;
  while True do
  begin
    // Fast forward
    while True do
    begin
      case CurPos^ of
        #0, '?', '''', '"', '`':
          Break;
      end;
      Inc(CurPos);
    end;

    case CurPos^ of
      #0: // string end
        Break;
      '''', '"', '`': // literal
      begin
        LiteralChar := CurPos^;
        Inc(CurPos);
        // skip literal, escaped literal chars must not be handled because they
        // end the string and start a new string immediately.
        while (CurPos^ <> #0) and (CurPos^ <> LiteralChar) do
          Inc(CurPos);
        if CurPos^ = #0 then
          Break;
        Inc(CurPos);
      end;
      '?': //parameter
      begin
        Inc(CurPos);
        Inc(ParamCount);
        Result := Result + Copy(SQL, StartPos - BeginPos + 1, CurPos - StartPos - 1) + ':' + IntToStr(ParamCount);
        StartPos := CurPos;
      end;
    end;
  end;
  Result := Result + Copy(SQL, StartPos - BeginPos + 1, CurPos - StartPos);
end;