Blog

All Blog Posts | Next Post | Previous Post

TMS WEB Core v3.0 Beta: introducing the DB-aware TWebDataGrid

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

TMS Software Delphi Components tmswebcore

We are thrilled to announce the beta release of TMS WEB Core v3.0.

This new version marks another important step forward in our mission to bring RAD-style Delphi web development to modern browser applications. With TMS WEB Core, Delphi developers can build rich client-side web applications in Object Pascal, using familiar tools, components and development patterns.

One of the major new features in TMS WEB Core v3.0 is the introduction of a DB-aware version of TWebDataGrid: TWebDBDataGrid.

Why TWebDBDataGrid?

When building business applications, data is almost always at the center of the application. Whether it is customer data, orders, invoices, products, planning information or analytics, developers need a powerful way to present and manipulate structured data.

With TWebDataGrid, TMS WEB Core already offers a modern, high-performance grid component based on the popular MIT licenses AgGrid technology. It brings powerful grid functionality to web client applications, including sorting, filtering, formatting and advanced visualization capabilities.

But for Delphi developers, there is one development model that remains extremely productive and familiar: the TDataSource / TDataSet paradigm.

That is exactly where TWebDBDataGrid comes in.

It brings the power of TWebDataGrid together with the familiar Delphi database-aware architecture. This means that web client applications can now bind grid data directly to datasets using the same conceptual model Delphi developers have been using for decades in VCL and FMX applications.

Delphi-style databinding for web client applications

The new TWebDBDataGrid uses the standard Delphi-style databinding approach:

WebDBDataGrid1.DataSource := WebDataSource1;
WebDataSource1.DataSet := WebClientDataSet1;

That is all it takes to connect the grid to a dataset.

From there, the grid can automatically display the data from the dataset and provide rich interaction capabilities out of the box.

This makes it possible to work with data in a very natural Delphi way, also in a browser-based TMS WEB Core application.

The TWebDBDataGrid can connect to datasets such as:

TWebClientDataSet
TXDataDataSet
TStellarDataStoreClientDataSet

and other dataset-based data sources.

This opens the door to directly working with data coming from a backend database through TMS WEB Core client-side applications. Whether the data is local in a client dataset, retrieved from a TMS XData backend, or provided by StellarDS.io, the grid can consume it through the familiar dataset abstraction.

Less glue code, more productivity

One of the main goals behind TWebDBDataGrid is simple: reduce the amount of code needed to build data-driven web applications.

Without DB-aware binding, developers often need to manually transfer data from backend responses into grid structures, handle updates, synchronize records, process sorting or filtering, and keep UI state aligned with data state.

With TWebDBDataGrid, much of this becomes automatic.

The component provides out-of-the-box support for:

displaying dataset records
editing data
sorting
formatting
paging
filtering

This means developers can focus more on the application logic and less on the repetitive wiring between data and UI.

Example: connecting a dataset to the grid

A typical setup can be as compact as this:

procedure TForm1.WebFormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  WebDataSource1.DataSet := WebClientDataSet1;
  WebDBDataGrid1.DataSource := WebDataSource1;
  WebClientDataSet1.Open;
end;

The grid automatically receives its data through the datasource.

When working with a backend dataset like TMS XData dataset, the same concept applies:

procedure TForm1.WebFormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  WebDataSource1.DataSet := XDataDataSet1;
  WebDBDataGrid1.DataSource := WebDataSource1;
  XDataDataSet1.Open;
end;

And when using StellarDS.io, our data in the cloud as a service solution:

procedure TForm1.WebFormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  WebDataSource1.DataSet := StellarDataStoreClientDataSet1;
  WebDBDataGrid1.DataSource := WebDataSource1;
  StellarDataStoreClientDataSet1.Open;
end;

The dataset can represent data coming from a real backend database, while the web client application continues to work with a clean Delphi dataset model.

Editing data in the browser

TWebDBDataGrid is not limited to displaying data. It also supports editing with various inplace editor types, making it possible to build real data management screens directly in the browser.

For example, a typical edit flow can remain dataset-driven:

procedure TForm1.btnSaveClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  if WebDataSource1.DataSet.State in dsEditModes then
    WebDataSource1.DataSet.Post;
end;

procedure TForm1.btnCancelClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  if WebDataSource1.DataSet.State in dsEditModes then
    WebDataSource1.DataSet.Cancel;
end;

This is the kind of code Delphi developers already know.

The advantage is that the same productive programming model now becomes available in modern web client applications created with TMS WEB Core.

A natural fit for database-backed web applications

The addition of TWebDBDataGrid is especially useful for applications that need to work directly with structured backend data.

Typical use cases include:

admin dashboards
ERP-style browser applications
customer portals
order management systems
reporting screens
planning tools
database maintenance applications

Combined with datasets such as TXDataDataSet and TStellarDataStoreClientDataSet, TWebDBDataGrid makes it easier to build full client-side web applications that interact with backend databases in a structured and maintainable way.

The result is a productive development experience where the backend, dataset layer and grid UI work together with minimal boilerplate code.

Built-in power of TWebDataGrid

Because TWebDBDataGrid is based on the TWebDataGrid technology, it benefits from the rich grid functionality already available in TMS WEB Core.

This includes advanced grid behavior such as:

column formatting
sorting
filtering
paging & continuous data loading during scroll
editing with multiple editor types
custom cell content
responsive browser rendering
large data presentation

This makes TWebDBDataGrid not just a DB-aware grid, but a powerful modern web grid with Delphi-style databinding.

Conclusion

With TMS WEB Core v3.0, we are taking another step in making web development with Delphi more powerful, more productive and more familiar.

The new TWebDBDataGrid brings the well-known TDataSource / TDataSet paradigm to a modern browser grid component. It enables developers to connect directly to datasets such as TWebClientDataSet, TXDataDataSet, TStellarDataStoreDataSet and others, while benefiting from built-in editing, sorting, formatting, paging and filtering.

For Delphi developers building database-oriented web applications, this means less code, faster development and a much more natural development experience.

Beta available now

TMS Software Delphi Components tmswebcore

The TMS WEB Core v3.0 beta is available now for all TMS ALL-ACCESS users and can be downloaded from the My Products page after login on our website!

Bruno Fierens

This blog post has not received any comments yet.