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URL: https://www.cdata.com/kb/tech/discourse-odbc-power-query.rst

⇱ Use the CData ODBC Driver for Discourse in Microsoft Power Query

Use the CData ODBC Driver for Discourse in Microsoft Power Query

👁 Jerod Johnson
Jerod Johnson
Director, Technology Evangelism
You can use the CData Discourse ODBC Driver with Microsoft Power Query. In this article, you will use the ODBC driver to import Discourse data into Microsoft Power Query.

The CData ODBC Driver for Discourse enables you to link to Discourse data in Microsoft Power Query, ensuring that you see any updates. This article details how to use the ODBC driver to import Discourse data into Microsoft Power Query.

Connect to Discourse as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

The Discourse API uses API Key authentication.

Using API Key Authentication

Discourse requires API Key and Username for authentication. API Keys are generated in the Discourse Admin panel under the API section. You can create user-specific API keys or all-users API keys. Once you have obtained the API Key, set it along with the Domain and Username in the ProfileSettings connection property.

Example Connection string

Profile=C:\profiles\Discourse.apip;ProfileSettings='Domain=forum.example.com;APIKey=your_api_key;Username=your_username;'AuthScheme=APIKey;

Import Discourse Data

Follow the steps below to import Discourse data using standard SQL:

  1. From the ribbon in Excel, click Power Query -> From Other Data Sources -> From ODBC.

  2. Enter the ODBC connection string. Below is a connection string using the default DSN created when you install the driver: 
    Provider=MSDASQL.1;Persist Security Info=False;DSN=CData API Source

  3. Enter the SELECT statement to import data with. For example: 

     SELECT , FROM Backups WHERE = ''
    👁 The ODBC connection string and SELECT query. (Salesforce is shown.)

  4. Enter credentials, if required, and click Connect. The results of the query are displayed in the Query Editor Preview. You can combine queries from other data sources or refine the data with Power Query formulas. To load the query to the worksheet, click the Close and Load button.

    👁 Tables loaded in Power Query. (Salesforce is shown.)