Connect with the C++ driver

This driver doesn’t support the vector data type.

DataStax recommends the Data API and clients for Serverless (Vector) databases. You can use the Data API to perform CQL operations on your table data in Serverless (Vector) databases.

DataStax recommends drivers only for Serverless (Non-Vector) databases, legacy applications that rely on a driver, or for CQL functions that aren’t supported by the Data API. For more information, see Compare connection methods.

To use the DataStax C++ driver, you need to install the driver and its dependencies, and then connect the driver to your Astra DB Serverless database with a CassStatement object. Once connected, you can write scripts that use the driver to run commands against your database.

Prerequisites

Create a database.
Set the following environment variables:
- ASTRA_DB_ID: The database ID
- ASTRA_DB_REGION: A region where your database is deployed and where you want to connect to the database, such as us-east-2
- ASTRA_DB_KEYSPACE: A keyspace in your database, such as default_keyspace
- ASTRA_DB_APPLICATION_TOKEN: An application token with the Database Administrator role.
  
  The token.json has the following format:
  { "clientId": "CLIENT_ID", "secret": "CLIENT_SECRET", "token": "APPLICATION_TOKEN" }
  For driver authentication, you can use either clientId and secret or the literal string token and the AstraCS token value. If you are on an older driver version that doesn’t support the token option, then you might need to use clientId and secret. For more information, see Token details.
Download your database’s Secure Connect Bundle (SCB).

Install the C++ driver

Download and install the DataStax C++ driver.

Make sure you use a driver version that is compatible with Astra DB. For more information, see DataStax driver matrix.

Connect the C++ driver

In the root of your C++ project, create a connect_database.c file:
```
cd my_project
touch connect_database.c
```

Copy the following connection code into the connect_database.c file, and then replace PATH_TO_SCB with the absolute path to your database’s Secure Connect Bundle (SCB) (secure-connect-DATABASE_NAME.zip):

connect_database.c

#include <cassandra.h>
#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
     // Setup and connect to cluster
     CassCluster* cluster = cass_cluster_new();
     CassSession* session = cass_session_new();

     // Set up driver to connect to the cloud using the SCB
     const char* secure_connect_bundle = "PATH_TO_SCB";
     if (cass_cluster_set_cloud_secure_connection_bundle(cluster, secure_connect_bundle) != CASS_OK) {
       fprintf(stderr, "Unable to configure cloud using the SCB: %s\n",
               secure_connect_bundle);
       return 1;
     }

     // Set credentials provided when creating your database
     cass_cluster_set_credentials(cluster, "token", "ASTRA_DB_APPLICATION_TOKEN");

     CassFuture* connect_future = cass_session_connect(session, cluster);

     if (cass_future_error_code(connect_future) == CASS_OK) {
       // Use the session to run queries
     } else {
       // Handle error
     }

     cass_future_free(connect_future);
     cass_cluster_free(cluster);
     cass_session_free(session);

     return 0;
    }

This code creates a CassStatement object to connect to your Astra DB database.

Don’t use the cass_cluster_set_contact_points() and cass_cluster_set_ssl() methods in conjunction with the cass_cluster_set_cloud_secure_connection_bundle() method.

Add code to your script that queries your database and prints the output to the console:

connect_database.c

/* Build statement and execute query */
const char_ query = "SELECT release_version FROM system.local";
CassStatement* statement = cass_statement_new(query, 0);

CassFuture* result_future = cass_session_execute(session, statement);

if (cass_future_error_code(result_future) == CASS_OK) {
  /* Retrieve result set and get the first row */
  const CassResult_ result = cass_future_get_result(result_future);
  const CassRow* row = cass_result_first_row(result);

  if (row) {
    const CassValue* value = cass_row_get_column_by_name(row, "release_version");

    const char* release_version;
    size_t release_version_length;
    cass_value_get_string(value, &release_version, &release_version_length);
    printf("release_version: '%._s'\n", (int)release_version_length, release_version);
  }

    cass_result_free(result);
  } else {
    /_ Handle error _/
    const char_ message;
    size_t message_length;
    cass_future_error_message(result_future, &message, &message_length);
    fprintf(stderr, "Unable to run query: '%.*s'\n", (int)message_length, message);
  }

  cass_statement_free(statement);
  cass_future_free(result_future);

Build and link your application against the DataStax C++ driver.
- Linux or macOS
- Windows
For static linking, use cassandra_static.a.
cc connect_database.c -I/path/to/cassandra.h -L/path/to/cassandra.so -lcassandra
Include these libraries in your Microsoft Visual Studio project by adding them to the project’s properties under Configuration Properties/Linker/Input/Additional Dependencies:
Link your application against cassandra.lib. For static linking, use cassandra_static.lib.

cassandra.dll must be in your application’s runtime path.
Run the compiled application.

The console output includes the release_version value from the system.local table.
Extend or modify this script to run other commands against your database or connect to other databases. For more information, see C++ driver documentation and Developing applications with DataStax drivers.

Connect with the C++ driver

Prerequisites

Install the C++ driver

Connect the C++ driver

See also

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