Visualize HubDB Data from Tableau



Use the Tableau Desktop business intelligence tool to connect to HubDB data.

With CData Drivers for HubDB, you can use data access standards to unlock connectivity to business intelligence tools like Tableau. The CData JDBC Driver for HubDB allows you to connect from Tableau on Windows and macOS. This article covers how to discover schemas and query HubDB data data in real-time.

NOTE: If you are using Tableau 2020.3 or higher, you can use the CData JDBC Driver for HubDB. If you wish to connect to HubDB data in Tableau Cloud, you will need to use CData Connect.

Connect to HubDB in Tableau

Before starting Tableau, make sure you've placed the .jar file in the correct folder:

  • Windows: C:\Program Files\Tableau\Drivers
  • MacOS: ~/Library/Tableau/Drivers

Once your .jar file is in place, establishing a connection is straightforward.

  1. Start Tableau.
  2. Under To a Server, select More.
  3. Select Other Databases (JDBC)
  4. Enter the JDBC connection string in the URL field.
  5. There are two authentication methods available for connecting to HubDB data source: OAuth Authentication with a public HubSpot application and authentication with a Private application token.

    Using a Custom OAuth App

    AuthScheme must be set to "OAuth" in all OAuth flows. Be sure to review the Help documentation for the required connection properties for you specific authentication needs (desktop applications, web applications, and headless machines).

    Follow the steps below to register an application and obtain the OAuth client credentials:

    1. Log into your HubSpot app developer account.
      • Note that it must be an app developer account. Standard HubSpot accounts cannot create public apps.
    2. On the developer account home page, click the Apps tab.
    3. Click Create app.
    4. On the App info tab, enter and optionally modify values that are displayed to users when they connect. These values include the public application name, application logo, and a description of the application.
    5. On the Auth tab, supply a callback URL in the "Redirect URLs" box.
      • If you're creating a desktop application, set this to a locally accessible URL like http://localhost:33333.
      • If you are creating a Web application, set this to a trusted URL where you want users to be redirected to when they authorize your application.
    6. Click Create App. HubSpot then generates the application, along with its associated credentials.
    7. On the Auth tab, note the Client ID and Client secret. You will use these later to configure the driver.
    8. Under Scopes, select any scopes you need for your application's intended functionality.

      A minimum of the following scopes is required to access tables:

      • hubdb
      • oauth
      • crm.objects.owners.read
    9. Click Save changes.
    10. Install the application into a production portal with access to the features that are required by the integration.
      • Under "Install URL (OAuth)", click Copy full URL to copy the installation URL for your application.
      • Navigate to the copied link in your browser. Select a standard account in which to install the application.
      • Click Connect app. You can close the resulting tab.

    Using a Private App

    To connect using a HubSpot private application token, set the AuthScheme property to "PrivateApp."

    You can generate a private application token by following the steps below:

    1. In your HubDB account, click the settings icon (the gear) in the main navigation bar.
    2. In the left sidebar menu, navigate to Integrations > Private Apps.
    3. Click Create private app.
    4. On the Basic Info tab, configure the details of your application (name, logo, and description).
    5. On the Scopes tab, select Read or Write for each scope you want your private application to be able to access.
    6. A minimum of hubdb and crm.objects.owners.read is required to access tables.
    7. After you are done configuring your application, click Create app in the top right.
    8. Review the info about your application's access token, click Continue creating, and then Show token.
    9. Click Copy to copy the private application token.

    To connect, set PrivateAppToken to the private application token you retrieved.

    Built-in Connection String Designer

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

    From Windows:

    java -jar 'C:\Program Files\CData[product_name]\lib\cdata.jdbc.hubdb.jar'

    From MacOS:

    java -jar cdata.jdbc.hubdb.jar

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

    When you configure the JDBC URL, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

    The following is a sample URL created in the designer:

    jdbc:hubdb:AuthScheme=OAuth;OAuthClientID=MyOAuthClientID;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;
  6. Select Sign in.

Discover Schemas and Query Data

  1. Select CData from the Database pull-down menu.
  2. Select CData from the Schema pull-down menu.
  3. Drag the table onto the join area. You can include multiple tables.
  4. Select Update Now or Automatically Update. Update Now lets you preview the first 10,000 rows of the data source (or enter the number of rows you want to see in the Rows text box). Automatically Update automatically reflects the changes in the preview area.
  5. In the Connection menu, select the Live option, so that you skip loading a copy of the data into Tableau and instead work on real-time data.
  6. Click the tab for your worksheet. Columns are listed as Dimensions and Measures, depending on the data type. The CData Driver discovers data types automatically, allowing you to leverage the powerful data processing and visualization features of Tableau.
  7. Click and drag a field from the Dimensions or Measures area to Rows or Columns. Tableau creates column or row headers.
  8. Select one of the chart types from the Show Me tab. Tableau displays the chart type that you selected.

Using the CData JDBC Driver for HubDB with Tableau, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on HubDB data. Download a free, 30-day trial and get started today.

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