Connect to Microsoft Dataverse Data in JRuby

JRuby is a high-performance, stable, fully threaded Java implementation of the Ruby programming language. The CData JDBC Driver for Microsoft Dataverse makes it easy to integrate connectivity to live Microsoft Dataverse data in JRuby. This article shows how to create a simple JRuby app that connects to Microsoft Dataverse data, executes a query, and displays the results.

Getting Started

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Configure a JDBC Connection to Microsoft Dataverse Data

Before creating the app, note the installation location for the JAR file for the JDBC Driver (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Microsoft Dataverse\lib).

JRuby natively supports JDBC, so you can easily connect to Microsoft Dataverse and execute SQL queries. Initialize the JDBC connection with the getConnection function of the java.sql.DriverManager class.

You can connect without setting any connection properties for your user credentials. Below are the minimum connection properties required to connect.

• InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
• OrganizationUrl: Set this to the organization URL you are connecting to, such as https://myorganization.crm.dynamics.com.
• Tenant (optional): Set this if you wish to authenticate to a different tenant than your default. This is required to work with an organization not on your default Tenant.

When you connect the Common Data Service OAuth endpoint opens in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions. The OAuth process completes automatically.

Built-in Connection String Designer

For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Microsoft Dataverse JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

java -jar cdata.jdbc.cds.jar

Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

Below is a typical JDBC connection string for Microsoft Dataverse:

jdbc:cds:OrganizationUrl=https://myaccount.crm.dynamics.com/;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to Microsoft Dataverse Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: CDSSelect.rb) and open it in a text editor. Copy the following code into your file:

require 'java'
require 'rubygems'
require 'C:/Program Files/CData/CData JDBC Driver for Microsoft Dataverse 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.cds.jar'

url = "jdbc:cds:OrganizationUrl=https://myaccount.crm.dynamics.com/;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT AccountId, Name FROM Accounts")
while (rs.next) do
 puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

With the file completed, you are ready to display your Microsoft Dataverse data with JRuby. To do so, simply run your file from the command line:

jruby -S CDSSelect.rb

Writing SQL-92 queries to Microsoft Dataverse allows you to quickly and easily incorporate Microsoft Dataverse data into your own JRuby applications. Download a free trial today!