Connecting C++ and CockroachDB with ADBC

Instructions

Tip

If you already have a CockroachDB instance running, skip the steps to set up and clean up CockroachDB.

Prerequisites

1. Install Pixi

2. Install dbc

Set up CockroachDB

1. Install Docker

2. Start a CockroachDB instance:

   docker run -d --rm \
       --env COCKROACH_DATABASE=db \
       --env COCKROACH_USER=username \
       --env COCKROACH_PASSWORD=password \
       --name=roach-single \
       -p 26257:26257 \
       -p 8080:8080 \
       cockroachdb/cockroach:v25.4.2 start-single-node

Connect to CockroachDB

1. Install the PostgreSQL ADBC driver:

   dbc install --level user postgresql

2. Customize the C++ program main.cpp as needed

   • Change the connection arguments in the AdbcDatabaseSetOption() calls
     • Format uri according to the connection URI format used by PostgreSQL, or keep it as is
   • If you changed which database you're connecting to, also change the SQL SELECT statement in AdbcStatementSetSqlQuery()

3. Build and run the C++ program:

   Using Make:

   pixi run make
   ./cockroachdb_demo

   Or using CMake:

   pixi run cmake -B build
   pixi run cmake --build build
   ./build/cockroachdb_demo

Clean up

1. Clean build artifacts:

   Using Make:

   pixi run make clean

   Using CMake:

   rm -rf build

2. Stop the Docker container running CockroachDB:

   docker stop roach-single