How to Query Slack Data in MySQL Workbench

You can use the SQL Gateway from the ODBC Driver for Slack to query Slack data through a MySQL interface. Follow the procedure below to start the MySQL remoting service of the SQL Gateway and work with live Slack data in MySQL Workbench.

Connect to Slack Data

If you have not already done so, provide values for the required connection properties in the data source name (DSN). You can use the built-in Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to configure the DSN. This is also the last step of the driver installation. See the "Getting Started" chapter in the help documentation for a guide to using the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure a DSN.

Slack uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate using OAuth, create an app to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties. See the Getting Started section of the help documentation for an authentication guide.

Configure the SQL Gateway

See the SQL Gateway Overview to set up connectivity to Slack data as a virtual MySQL database. You will configure a MySQL remoting service that listens for MySQL requests from clients. The service can be configured in the SQL Gateway UI.

👁 Creating a MySQL Remoting Service in SQL Gateway (Salesforce is shown)

Query Slack from MySQL Workbench

The steps below outline connecting to the virtual Slack database created in the SQL Gateway from MySQL Workbench and issuing basic queries to work with live Slack data.

Connect to Slack through the SQL Gateway

1. In MySQL Workbench, click to add a new MySQL connection.
2. Name the connection (CData SQL Gateway for Slack).
3. Set the Hostname, Port, and Username parameters to connect to the SQL Gateway.
4. Click Store in Vault to set and store the password.
5. Click Test Connection to ensure the connection is configured properly and click OK.

NOTE: When we refer to Username and Password, we mean the credentials for the user(s) created for the SQL Gateway.

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Query Slack Data

1. Open the connection you just created (CData SQL Gateway for Slack).
2. Click File -> New Query Tab.
3. Write a SQL query to retrieve Slack data, like SELECT * FROM `CData Slack Sys`.Channels;

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With access to live Slack data from MySQL Workbench, you can easily work with Slack, just like you would a MySQL database. Get started now with a free, 30-day trial of the CData ODBC Driver for Slack and the CData SQL Gateway.