Connect to Microsoft SQL Server in Java: 4 Easy Steps

Since data is the new crude oil, data security has become one of the utmost essential requirements in the current tech-driven world.

Traditional relational database management systems like Microsoft SQL Server provide enterprises with high-level encryption and security protocols to protect their users’ and applications’ data.

For highly secure automated data access and transaction processing, enterprises can use Microsoft SQL Server with Java, a well-known software language used primarily for computing.

The approach of Java connect to Microsoft SQL Server databases is highly compatible and widely used to build highly secure applications.

In this article, you will learn about how to use the JDBC driver for Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server database correctly.

Prerequisites

• Basic knowledge on Integration

Connecting Java to Microsoft SQL Server

Java is an adaptable programming language for creating complex interactive applications and games.

Since it is highly secure, many enterprises use Java in the form of JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) to connect databases and servers with web applications.

JDBC is a call-level API that uses standard SQL statements and passes them as strings to API for performing operations on relational database management systems (RDMS).

Connecting Java to Microsoft SQL Server helps automate access to the databases where you can directly handle data and work on them in an automated script.

You can use this connection to verify results, delete data, and even update specific data according to your requirements. 

Follow the instructions below to connect Java and the Microsoft SQL Server database properly:

• Step 1: Download Microsoft JDBC Driver
• Step 2: JDBC URL for Microsoft SQL Server
• Step 3: Register drive and Specify connection
• Step 4: Executing SQL Commands

Step 1: Download Microsoft JDBC Driver

To start with Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server, you must have an appropriate JDBC driver in the existing classpath. Follow the instructions to download the driver for SQL server connection correctly:

• Go to the Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server page.
• Extract the archive files
• Insert mssql-jdbc-8.2.0.jreVERSION.jar to the classpath of your project
• Via Maven, declare the below dependencies:

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.microsoft.sqlserver</groupId>
    <artifactId>mssql-jdbc</artifactId>
    <version>8.2.1.jre11</version>
</dependency>
#Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server

Step 2: JDBC URL for Microsoft SQL Server

The syntax for database URL for Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server is:

#Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server

jdbc:sqlserver://[serverName[\instanceName][:portNumber]][;property=value[;property=value]]

#Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server

Where,

• serverName: name of the host or IP address of the device where SQL Server is currently running.
• instanceName: instance name to connect the server.
• portNumber: port number of server, the default value is 1433.
• property=value: you can include one or more connection properties.

Step 3: Register drive and specify connection

• Register the JDBC driver using this statement,

#Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server

DriverManager.registerDriver(new com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver());

#Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server

• Call the method getConnection() from the driver manager class.
• Pass the username and password to the method.
• To store the connection properties, use a java.util.Properties object.
• For authentication mode, ensure that the integrated security is true and you have included sqljdbc_auth.dll in the classpath.

Step 4: Executing SQL Commands

• Use the createStatement() method to make a variable st.
• Build a string that includes the SQL command you want to execute. 
• Use the variable with the executeQuery and pass the string as a parameter.

#Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server

Statement st = conn.createStatement();
String Sql = “select * from [tableName] where <condition>”; 
ResultSet rs = st.executeQuery(Sql);

#Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server

Limitations of Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server

In Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server, you might encounter a version incompatibility issue. For instance, when you use Java 8 to execute your program with Microsoft JDBC drive for Java 11 and higher.

The SQL Server drive for Java 11 cannot be loaded by Java 8. You will either have to download the Java 8 version driver or upgrade your Java software to the 11 version for the proper execution.

Conclusion

In this article, you learned about Java, the Microsoft SQL Server database, and how to get started with Java Connect to Microsoft SQL Server with the assistance of the JDBC Microsoft driver.

While Java is a programming language for desktop computing, games, numerical computing, etc., Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system that assists enterprises in performing secure transactions, executing analytics tasks, and storing data.

By connecting Java with Microsoft SQL Server, companies can enhance the protection of their applications’ data as both these technologies provide high-security measures.

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