Query Beeminder Data as a MySQL Database in Node.js

Jerod Johnson
Jerod Johnson
Director, Technology Evangelism
Execute MySQL queries against Beeminder data from Node.js.

You can use the SQL Gateway from the ODBC Driver for Beeminder to query Beeminder data through a MySQL interface. Follow the procedure below to start the MySQL remoting service of the SQL Gateway and start querying using Node.js.

Connect to Beeminder Data

If you have not already done so, provide values for the required connection properties in the data source name (DSN). You can use the built-in Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to configure the DSN. This is also the last step of the driver installation. See the "Getting Started" chapter in the help documentation for a guide to using the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure a DSN.

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

Beeminder API Profile Settings

Log in to your Beeminder account and navigate to Settings > Account > Personal Auth Token to copy your auth_token value.

Configure the SQL Gateway

See the SQL Gateway Overview to set up connectivity to Beeminder data as a virtual MySQL database. You will configure a MySQL remoting service that listens for MySQL requests from clients. The service can be configured in the SQL Gateway UI.

Creating a MySQL Remoting Service in SQL Gateway (Salesforce is shown)

Query Beeminder from Node.js

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

  • Host name or address, and port: The machine and port where the MySQL remoting service is listening for MySQL connections.
  • Username and password: The username and password of a user you authorized on the Users tab of the SQL Gateway.
  • Database name: The DSN you configured for the MySQL remoting service.

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

var mysql      = require('mysql');
var connection = mysql.createConnection({
  host     : 'localhost',
  database : 'CData API Sys',
  port	   : '3306',
  user     : 'mysql_user',
  password : 'test'
});
connection.connect();
connection.query('SELECT * FROM ArchivedGoals', function(err, rows, fields) {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log(rows);
});

connection.end();

Ready to get started?

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