Query Basecamp Data as a SQL Server Database in Node.js

You can use CData Connect AI to query Basecamp data through a SQL Server interface. Follow the procedure below to create a virtual database for Basecamp in Connect AI and start querying using Node.js.

CData Connect AI provides a pure MySQL, cloud-to-cloud interface for Basecamp, allowing you to easily query live Basecamp data in Node.js — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you query data in Node.js, CData Connect AI pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to Basecamp, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return Basecamp data.

Configure Basecamp Connectivity for NodeJS

Connectivity to Basecamp from NodeJS is made possible through CData Connect AI. To work with Basecamp data from NodeJS, we start by creating and configuring a Basecamp connection.

1. Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection

2. Select "Basecamp" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Basecamp.

   Basecamp uses basic or OAuth 2.0 authentication. To use basic authentication you will need the user and password that you use for logging in to Basecamp. To authenticate to Basecamp via OAuth 2.0, obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties by registering an app with Basecamp.

   See the Getting Started section in the help documentation for a connection guide.

   Additionally, specify the AccountId connection property. This can be copied from the URL after you log in.

   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Basecamp Connection page and update the User-based 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.

1. Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect AI app to open the settings page.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give the 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 and a PAT generated, you are ready to connect to Basecamp data from Node.js.

Query Basecamp from Node.js

The following example shows how to define a connection and execute queries to Basecamp with the SQL Server module. You will need the following information:

• server: tds.cdata.com
• port: 14333
• user: a Connect AI user (e.g. [email protected])
• password: the PAT for the above user
• database: The connection you configured for Basecamp (Basecamp1)

Connect to Basecamp data and start executing queries with the code below:

var sql = require('mssql')
var config = {
	server: 'tds.cdata.com',
	port: 14333, 
	user: '[email protected]', //update me
	password: 'CONNECT_USER_PAT', //update me	
	options: {
		encrypt: true,
		database: 'Basecamp1'
	}
}

sql.connect(config, err => { 
    if(err){
        throw err ;
    }
    new sql.Request().query('SELECT * FROM Projects', (err, result) => {
        console.dir(result)
    })
        
});

sql.on('error', err => {
    console.log("SQL Error: " ,err);
})