Create Oracle-Connected Business Apps in AppSheet

Google AppSheet is a no-code development platform for application software, enabling users to design mobile, tablet, and web applications. When combined with CData Connect Cloud, you gain immediate cloud-to-cloud access to Oracle data for business applications. This article outlines the process of connecting to Oracle using Connect Cloud and constructing a basic app from Oracle data within AppSheet.

CData Connect Cloud offers a dedicated cloud-to-cloud interface for Oracle, enabling the creation of reports directly from live Oracle data within AppSheet, all without the need for data replication to a native database. When you design applications that interact with data, AppSheet formulates SQL queries to retrieve the required information. With its inherent optimized data processing capabilities, CData Connect Cloud efficiently channels all supported SQL operations, including filters and JOINs, directly to Oracle. This leverages server-side processing to swiftly deliver the requested Oracle data.

Configure Oracle Connectivity for AppSheet

Connectivity to Oracle from AppSheet is made possible through CData Connect Cloud. To work with Oracle data from AppSheet, we start by creating and configuring a Oracle connection.

1. Log into Connect Cloud, click Connections and click Add Connection
2. Select "Oracle" from the Add Connection panel
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Oracle.

   To connect to Oracle, you'll first need to update your PATH variable and ensure it contains a folder location that includes the native DLLs. The native DLLs can be found in the lib folder inside the installation directory. Once you've done this, set the following to connect:

   • Port: The port used to connect to the server hosting the Oracle database.
   • User: The user Id provided for authentication with the Oracle database.
   • Password: The password provided for authentication with the Oracle database.
   • Service Name: The service name of the Oracle database.
4. Click Create & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Oracle Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

If you are connecting from a service, application, platform, or framework that does not support OAuth authentication, you can create a Personal Access Token (PAT) to use for authentication. Best practices would dictate that you create a separate PAT for each service, to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on your username at the top right of the Connect Cloud app and click User Profile.
2. On the User Profile page, scroll down to the Personal Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give your PAT a name and click Create.
4. 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, you are ready to connect to Oracle data from AppSheet.

Connect to Oracle from AppSheet

The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect Cloud from AppSheet to create a new Oracle data source.

1. Log into AppSheet
2. Click "My account" in the menu
3. Click the Sources tab and add a new data source
4. Select Cloud Database and set the connection information
   • Type: Sql Server
   • Server: tds.cdata.com,14333
   • Database: the Oracle connection, for example, OracleOCI1
   • Username: a Connect Cloud user, for example, user@mydomain.com
   • Password: the PAT for the above Connect Cloud user
   • SSL: Require SSL
5. Click "Test Connection"
6. Click "Authorize Access"

Create an App

Once you create the data source for Oracle, you can start building apps on Oracle data. Start by clicking "My apps" in the menu.

1. Click to create a new app and select "Start with your own data"
2. Name the app and select an appropriate category, based on your data
3. Select the newly created data source
4. Select the table or view with the data you want

At this point, you can configure the design of your app, selecting which columns from the selected table to display, use as labels, and more. Preview the app in the preview panel and then publish or share it when ready.

To get live data access to 100+ SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your cloud applications, try CData Connect Cloud today!