Edit and Search Google Sheets External Objects in Salesforce Connect (API Server)

The CData API Server enables you to access Google Sheets data from cloud-based applications like the Salesforce console and mobile applications like the Salesforce1 Mobile App. In this article, you will use the API Server and Salesforce Connect to access Google Sheets external objects alongside standard Salesforce objects.

Set Up the API Server

If you have not already done so, download the CData API Server. Once you have installed the API Server, follow the steps below to begin producing secure Google Sheets OData services:

Connect to Google Sheets

To work with Google Sheets data from Salesforce Connect, we start by creating and configuring a Google Sheets connection. Follow the steps below to configure the API Server to connect to Google Sheets data:

1. First, navigate to the Connections page.
2. Click Add Connection and then search for and select the Google Sheets connection. 👁 Selecting a data source (SQLite is shown)
   
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Google Sheets.

   You can connect to a spreadsheet by providing authentication to Google and then setting the Spreadsheet connection property to the name or feed link of the spreadsheet. If you want to view a list of information about the spreadsheets in your Google Drive, execute a query to the Spreadsheets view after you authenticate.

   ClientLogin (username/password authentication) has been officially deprecated since April 20, 2012 and is now no longer available. Instead, use the OAuth 2.0 authentication standard. To access Google APIs on behalf on individual users, you can use the embedded credentials or you can register your own OAuth app.

   OAuth also enables you to use a service account to connect on behalf of users in a Google Apps domain. To authenticate with a service account, register an application to obtain the OAuth JWT values.

   See the Getting Started chapter in the help documentation to connect to Google Sheets from different types of accounts: Google accounts, Google Apps accounts, and accounts using two-step verification. 👁 Connecting to a datasource (SQLite is shown)
   

4. After configuring the connection, click Save & Test to confirm a successful connection.

Configure API Server Users

Next, create a user to access your Google Sheets data through the API Server. You can add and configure users on the Users page. Follow the steps below to configure and create a user:

1. On the Users page, click Add User to open the Add User dialog.
2. Next, set the Role, Username, and Privileges properties and then click Add User. 👁 Configure a new user
   
3. An Authtoken is then generated for the user. You can find the Authtoken and other information for each user on the Users page: 👁 API Server user settings
   

Creating API Endpoints for Google Sheets

Having created a user, you are ready to create API endpoints for the Google Sheets tables:

1. First, navigate to the API page and then click Add Table . 👁 Add tables
   
2. Select the connection you wish to access and click Next. 👁 Select the connection (SQLite is shown)
   
3. With the connection selected, create endpoints by selecting each table and then clicking Confirm. 👁 Adding tables from the connection (SQLite is shown)
   

Gather the OData Url

Having configured a connection to Google Sheets data, created a user, and added resources to the API Server, you now have an easily accessible REST API based on the OData protocol for those resources. From the API page in API Server, you can view and copy the API Endpoints for the API:

👁 API Endpoints

Connect to Google Sheets Data as an External Data Source

Follow the steps below to connect to the feed produced by the API Server.

1. Log into Salesforce and click Setup -> Develop -> External Data Sources.
2. Click New External Data Source.
3. Enter values for the following properties:
   • External Data Source: Enter a label to be used in list views and reports.
   • Name: Enter a unique identifier.
   • Type: Select the option "Salesforce Connect: OData 4.0".

   • URL: Enter the URL to the OData endpoint of the API Server. The format of the OData URL is https://your-server:your-port/api.rsc.

     Note that plain-text is suitable for only testing; for production, use TLS.

4. Select the Writable External Objects option.

5. Select JSON in the Format menu.

6. In the Authentication section, set the following properties:
   • Identity Type: If all members of your organization will use the same credentials to access the API Server, select "Named Principal". If the members of your organization will connect with their own credentials, select "Per User".
   • Authentication Protocol: Select Password Authentication to use basic authentication.
   • Certificate: Enter or browse to the certificate to be used to encrypt and authenticate communications from Salesforce to your server.
   • Username: Enter the username for a user known to the API Server.
   • Password: Enter the user's authtoken.

👁 Configuration settings for the data source. (NetSuite is shown.)

Synchronize Google Sheets Objects

After you have created the external data source, follow the steps below to create Google Sheets external objects that reflect any changes in the data source. You will synchronize the definitions for the Google Sheets external objects with the definitions for Google Sheets tables.

1. Click the link for the external data source you created.
2. Click Validate and Sync.
3. Select the Google Sheets tables you want to work with as external objects.

👁 Image

Access Google Sheets Data as Salesforce Objects

After adding Google Sheets data as an external data source and syncing Google Sheets tables with Google Sheets external objects, you can use the external objects just as you would standard Salesforce objects.

• Create a new tab with a filter list view:

  👁 A filtered list view shown on a custom tab. (NetSuite Invoices are shown.)
  

• Display related lists of Google Sheets external objects alongside standard Salesforce objects:

  👁 A related list that shows an indirect lookup relationship, which links a child external object to a parent standard object. (Salesforce accounts and associated NetSuite invoices are shown.)
  
• Create, read, update, and delete Google Sheets objects from tabs on the Salesforce dashboard: 👁 Editing external objects from the Salesforce dashboard. (NetSuite Employees are shown.)
  

Troubleshooting

You can use the following checklist to avoid typical connection problems:

• Ensure that your server has a publicly accessible IP address. Related to this check, but one layer up, at the operating system layer, you will also need to ensure that your firewall has an opening for the port the API Server is running on. At the application layer, ensure that you have added trusted IP addresses on the Settings -> Security tab of the administration console.
• Ensure that you are using a connection secured by an SSL certificate from a commercial, trusted CA. Salesforce does not currently accept self-signed certificates or internal CAs.

• Ensure that the server you are hosting the API Server on is using TLS 1.1 or above. If you are using the .NET API Server, you can accomplish this by using the .NET API Server's embedded server.

  If you are using IIS, TLS 1.1 and 1.2 are supported but not enabled by default. To enable these protocols, refer to the how-to on MSDN and the Microsoft technical reference.

  If you are using the Java edition, note that TLS 1.2 is enabled by default in Java 8 but not in Java 6 or 7. If you are using these earlier versions, you can refer to this this Oracle how-to.