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DB2 Connectivity Solutions

Extend Google Sheets with DB2 Data

Make calls to the API Server from Google Apps Script.

Interact with DB2 data from Google Sheets through macros, custom functions, and add-ons. The CData API Server, when paired with the ADO.NET Provider for DB2 (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers), enables connectivity to DB2 data from cloud-based and mobile applications like Google Sheets. The API Server is a lightweight Web application that produces OData services for DB2 and any source supported by the CData ADO.NET Providers.

Google Apps Script can consume these OData services in the JSON format. This article shows how to create a simple add-on that populates a Google Spreadsheet with Orders data and, as you make changes, executes updates to DB2 data.

Set Up the API Server

Follow the steps below to begin producing secure DB2 OData services:

Deploy

The API Server runs on your own server. On Windows, you can deploy using the stand-alone server or IIS. On a Java servlet container, drop in the API Server WAR file. See the help documentation for more information and how-tos.

The API Server is also easy to deploy on Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2, and Heroku.

Connect to DB2

After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for DB2, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to DB2 by clicking Settings -> Connections and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.

Set the following properties to connect to DB2:

Server: Set this to the name of the server running DB2.
Port: Set this to the port the DB2 server is listening on.
Database: Set this to the name of the DB2 database.
User: Set this to the username of a user allowed to access the database.
Password: Set this to the password of a user allowed to access the database.

You will also need to install the corresponding DB2 driver:

Windows: Install the IBM Data Server Provider for .NET.
On Windows, installing the IBM Data Server Provider is sufficient, as the installation registers it in the machine.config.
Java: Install the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC.
In the Java version, place the IBM Data Server Driver JAR in the www\WEB-INF\lib\ folder for this application.

You can then choose the DB2 entities you want to allow the API Server to access by clicking Settings -> Resources.

Authorize API Server Users

After determining the OData services you want to produce, authorize users by clicking Settings -> Users. The API Server uses authtoken-based authentication and supports the major authentication schemes. Access can also be restricted based on IP address: Connections from all addresses except localhost are blocked by default, so you will need to allow connections from Google's servers for this article. You can authenticate as well as encrypt connections with SSL.

Retrieve DB2 Data

Open the Script Editor from your spreadsheet by clicking Tools -> Script Editor. In the Script Editor, add the following function to populate a spreadsheet with the results of an OData query:



function retrieve(){
  var url = "https://MyUrl/api.rsc/Orders?select=Id,OrderName,Freight,ShipCity";
  var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url,{
    headers: {"Authorization": "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode("MyUser:MyAuthtoken")}
  }); 
  var json = response.getContentText();
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  var a1 = sheet.getRange('a1');
  var index=1;
  var orders = JSON.parse(json).value;

  var cols = [["Id","OrderName","Freight","ShipCity"]]; 
  sheet.getRange(1,1,1,4).setValues(cols);

  row=2;
  for(var i in orders){
    for (var j in orders[i]) {
      switch (j) {
        case "Id":
          a1.offset(row,0).setValue(account[i][j]);
          break;
        case "OrderName":
          a1.offset(row,1).setValue(account[i][j]);
          break;
        case "Freight":
          a1.offset(row,2).setValue(account[i][j]);
          break;
        case "ShipCity":
          a1.offset(row,3).setValue(account[i][j]);
          break;
      }      
    }
    row++;
  }
}

Follow the steps below to add an installable trigger to populate the spreadsheet when opened:

Click Resources -> Current Project's Triggers -> Add a New Trigger.
Select retrieve in the Run menu.
Select From Spreadsheet.
Select On open.

After closing the dialog, you are prompted to allow access to the application.

Post Changes to DB2 Data

Add the following function to post changes to cells back to the API Server:



function buildReq(e){
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  var changes = e.range;
  var id = sheet.getRange(changes.getRow(),1).getValue();
  var col = sheet.getRange(1,changes.getColumn()).getValue();
  
  var url = "http://MyServer/api.rsc/Orders("+id+")";
  var putdata = "{\"@odata.type\" : \"CDataAPI.Orders\",  \""+col+"\": \""+changes.getValue()+"\"}";;
  UrlFetchApp.fetch(url,{
    method: "put",
    contentType: "application/json",
    payload: putdata,
    headers: {"Authorization": "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode("MyUser:MyAuthtoken")}
  });

}

Follow the steps below to add the update trigger:

Click Resources -> Current Project's Triggers.
Select buildReq in the Run menu.
Select From Spreadsheet.
Select On edit.

You can test the script by clicking Publish -> Test as Add-On. Select the version, installation type, and spreadsheet to create a test configuration. You can then select and run the test configuration.

As you make changes to cells, the API Server executes updates to DB2 data.

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