OutSystems is a low-code platform which provides the tools for companies to developer, deploy, and manage omnichannel enterprise applications. When paired with CData Connect AI, you get instant, cloud-to-cloud access to Xero data for business applications. This article shows how to create a virtual database for Xero in Connect AI and build a simple app from Xero data in OutSystems.
The CData Connect AI provides a pure cloud-to-cloud interface for Xero, allowing you to build reports from live Xero data in OutSystems — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you create applications to work with data, OutSystems generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect AI pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc.) directly to Xero, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return the requested Xero data.
About Xero Data Integration
Accessing and integrating live data from Xero has never been easier with CData. Customers rely on CData connectivity to:
- Connect to Xero Accounts and both US and Australian Payroll APIs.
- Read, write, update, and delete Xero objects like Customers, Transactions, Invoices, Sales Receipts and more.
- Use SQL stored procedures for actions like adding items to a cart, submitting orders, and downloading attachments.
- Work with accounting, payroll, file, fixed asset, and project data.
Customers regularly integrate their Xero data with preferred tools, like Tableau, Qlik Sense, or Excel, and integrate Xero data into their database or data warehouse.
Getting Started
Configure Xero Connectivity for OutSystems
Connectivity to Xero from OutSystems is made possible through CData Connect AI. To work with Xero data from OutSystems, we start by creating and configuring a Xero connection.
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Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection
👁 Adding a Connection
- Select "Xero" from the Add Connection panel
👁 Selecting a data source
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Xero uses OAuth to authenticate. Click "Sign in" to authenticate with Xero.
👁 Authenticating with OAuth (Salesforce is shown).
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Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Xero Connection page and update the User-based permissions.
👁 Updating permissions
Add a Personal Access Token
When connecting to Connect AI through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect AI. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.
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Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect AI app to open the settings page.
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On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
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Give the PAT a name and click Create.
👁 Creating a new PAT
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The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.
With the connection configured and a PAT generated, you are ready to connect to Xero data from OutSystems.
Connect to Xero from OutSystems
The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect AI from OutSystems to create a new Xero database connection.
- Open OutSystems Service Studio
- Click the gear icon to open Environment Management in the Service Center
👁 Opening the Service Center
- Click Administration and select "Database Connections"
- Click "New Database Connection"
- Configure the database connection:
- Name: name the connection (e.g. CData Connect AI Xero)
- DBMS: SQL Server / Azure SQL
- Username: a Connect AI user (e.g. [email protected])
- Password: the PAT for the Connect AI user
- Server: tds.cdata.com,14333
- Schema: the name of your Xero connection (e.g. Xero1)
👁 Connecting to the Connect AI
- Click "Test Connection"
- Click "Create"
Map Xero Tables or Views to Entities in an Extension Module
Once you create the database connection for Xero, you can create an extension that maps the tables or views to OutSystems entities. If you have not already done so, create an Application in Service Studio.
- Open the Service Studio and open the existing Application
- Click "Add Module," set the "Module Name" (e.g. xero_db_extension), set "Module Type" to "Extension," and click "Create Module"
👁 Creating a new extension module
- In Integration Studio, connect to your environment
- Right-click "Entities" in the extension tree and select "Connect to External Table or View..."
👁 Connecting to external tables or views
- Follow the steps in the wizard, selecting the tables and views you wish to work with
- In the Integration Studio, click "1-Click Publish"
- In the "1-Click Publish" wizard, click "Configure" when the process completes
- In the Service Center, associate the logical database name of the extension to the database connection that the extension will use and click "Apply"
👁 Configuring the external extension
- In your application, click "Manage Dependencies..."
- Add a dependency to the Extension and select the Entities that you will use in your application
👁 Adding a dependency to the extension
At this point, you can access and work with Xero data just like you would with the standard OutSystems entities.
Get CData Connect AI
With Connect AI and OutSystems, you can easily build Xero-connected applications. Request a free trial of Connect AI and start working with Xero data in OutSystems today.
