Connect to Zendesk Data in JRuby

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

Configure a JDBC Connection to Zendesk 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 Zendesk\lib).

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

Connecting to Zendesk

To connect, set the URL and provide authentication. The URL is your Zendesk Support URL: https://{subdomain}.zendesk.com.

Authenticating to Zendesk

You can authenticate using the Basic or OAuth methods.

Using Basic Authentication

To use Basic authentication, specify your email address and password or your email address and an API token. Set User to your email address and follow the steps below to provide the Password or ApiToken.

• Enable password access in the Zendesk Support admin interface at Admin > Channels > API.
• Manage API tokens in the Zendesk Support Admin interface at Admin > Channels > API. More than one token can be active at the same time. Deleting a token deactivates it permanently.

Using OAuth Authentication

See the Getting Started guide in the CData driver documentation for an authentication guide.

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

java -jar cdata.jdbc.zendesk.jar

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

Below is a typical JDBC connection string for Zendesk:

jdbc:zendesk:URL=https://subdomain.zendesk.com;[email protected];Password=test123;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to Zendesk Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: ZendeskSelect.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 Zendesk 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.zendesk.jar'

url = "jdbc:zendesk:URL=https://subdomain.zendesk.com;[email protected];Password=test123;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT Id, Subject FROM Tickets")
while (rs.next) do
 puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

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

jruby -S ZendeskSelect.rb

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