Connect to SuiteCRM Data in JRuby

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

Configure a JDBC Connection to SuiteCRM 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 SuiteCRM\lib).

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

The User and Password properties must be set to valid SuiteCRM user credentials. Additionally, specify the URL to the SuiteCRM application, for example http://suite.crm.com.

Note that retrieving SuiteCRM metadata can be expensive. It is advised that you store the metadata locally as described in the Caching Metadata section of the data provider help documentation.

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

java -jar cdata.jdbc.suitecrm.jar

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

Below is a typical JDBC connection string for SuiteCRM:

jdbc:suitecrm:URL=http://mySuiteCRM.com;User=myUser;Password=myPassword;

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to SuiteCRM Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: SuiteCRMSelect.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 SuiteCRM 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.suitecrm.jar'

url = "jdbc:suitecrm:URL=http://mySuiteCRM.com;User=myUser;Password=myPassword;"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT Name, Industry FROM Accounts")
while (rs.next) do
 puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

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

jruby -S SuiteCRMSelect.rb

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