Connect to AfterShip Data in JRuby

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

Configure a JDBC Connection to AfterShip 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 AfterShip\lib).

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

Start by setting the Profile connection property to the location of the AfterShip Profile on disk (e.g. C:\profiles\Aftership.apip). Next, set the ProfileSettings connection property to the connection string for AfterShip (see below).

AfterShip API Profile Settings

Obtain your API key from the AfterShip account management panel by navigating to My Account > Settings > API Keys.

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

java -jar cdata.jdbc.api.jar

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

Below is a typical JDBC connection string for AfterShip:

jdbc:api:Profile=C:\profiles\Aftership.apip;ProfileSettings='APIKey=your_api_key';

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to AfterShip Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: APISelect.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 AfterShip 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.api.jar'

url = "jdbc:api:Profile=C:\profiles\Aftership.apip;ProfileSettings='APIKey=your_api_key';"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT Slug, Name FROM AllCouriers")
while (rs.next) do
  puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

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

jruby -S APISelect.rb

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