Build Front-Connected Apps in Bubble

Bubble is a no-code platform that simplifies the process of developing and launching apps and businesses. When coupled with CData Connect AI, you gain effortless no-code access to Front data for streamlined app development. This article guides you through the integration process from Bubble to Front using CData Connect AI.

CData Connect AI provides a pure cloud-to-cloud OData interface for Front data that allows you to integrate from Bubble to Front data in real time.

Connect to Front from Bubble

To work with Front data from Bubble, we need to connect to Front from Connect AI, provide user access to the connection, and create a Virtual Schema for the Front data.

Connect to Front from Connect AI

CData Connect AI uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.

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

2. Select "Front" from the Add Connection panel

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

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

   Front API Profile Settings

   Generate an API key in Front by navigating to Settings > Plugins & API > API.

   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Front 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 Personal 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.

Configure Front Endpoints for Bubble

After connecting to Front, create a virtual schema for your desired table(s).

1. Navigate to the Virtual Schemas page and click Add to create a new Virtual Schema (enter a Virtual Schema Name and click Confirm), or select an existing one.
2. Click Add to open the Add Asset dialog, then select Tables and Views.
3. Select the Front connection (e.g. API1) and click Next.
4. Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm.
5. Click View Endpoints and copy the OData Service URL for your virtual schema.

With the connection, PAT, and Virtual Schema configured, you are ready to connect to Front data from Bubble.

Build a Front-Connected App

With OData endpoints added to Connect AI, you can build an app in Bubble with live access to Front data.

Configure the Bubble API Connector

To start, Configure the API Connector for accessing CData Connect AI from Bubble.

1. In your app, click the Plugins tab and click Add plugins
2. Search for "API Connector" and click Install
3. After installation, click the "Add another API" button and configure the API:
   • Name the API
   • Set Authentication to "HTTP Basic Auth"
   • Set Username to a Connect AI user (e.g. [email protected])
   • Set Password to the PAT for the user
   • Expand the API Call, select the "GET" command and set the URL to the OData Service URL you copied from your Virtual Schema, followed by the table name (e.g. {OData Service URL}/Channels)
   
4. Click the "Initialize call" button to adjust data types in the response (as needed)
5. After making any necessary changes, click "Save"

Configure the App UI

With the API Connector configure, you are ready to retrieve Front data in your Bubble app. In this article, we request the data with a UI component that can display an Excel-like table.

1. On the Plugin tab, install the "Excel-like HandsonTable"
2. On the Design tab, add an "Excel Table" to the workspace
3. In the Excel Table, in Data source, select "Get data from an external API"
4. Set Type of content to "API Call value"
5. Set Data source to "CData Connect AI - API Call's value" (or equivalent)
6. Click "Preview" to ensure the data was retrieved from Front.

At this point, you can develop applications with live access to Front data without needing to know the complexities of the back-end API.

Live Access to Front Data from Cloud Applications

Now you have a direct connection to live Front data from Bubble. You can create more Front-connected apps — all without writing any code or replicating Front data.

To get live data access to hundreds of SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your cloud applications, see the CData Connect AI.