Query Linear Data in ColdFusion

The CData JDBC driver for Linear seamlessly integrates connectivity to Linear data with the rapid development tools in ColdFusion. This article shows how to connect to Linear data in ColdFusion and query Linear tables.

Create a JDBC Data Source for Linear in ColdFusion

The JDBC data source enables you to execute SQL from standard ColdFusion tags like cfquery and CFScript like executeQuery.

1. Copy the driver JAR and .lic file from the installation directory onto the ColdFusion classpath. For example, copy the files into C:\MyColdFusionDirectory\cfusion\wwwroot\WEB-INF\lib. Or, open the Java and JVM page in the ColdFusion Administrator and enter the path to the files in the ColdFusion Class Path box.

   The JAR and license for the driver are located in the lib subfolder of the installation directory.

   Restart the server after this step.

2. Add the driver as a data source:

   From the ColdFusion administrator interface, expand the Data & Services node and click Data Sources. In the Add New Data Source section, enter a name for the data source and select Other in the Driver menu.

   

3. Populate the driver properties:

   • JDBC URL: Enter connection properties in the JDBC URL. The JDBC URL begins with jdbc:linear: and is followed by the connection properties in a semicolon-separated list of name=value pairs.

     You can authenticate to Linear with a personal API key or with OAuth 2.0. The API key is the simplest option for connecting with your own Linear account.

     Authenticating with an API Key

     Set the following connection properties:

     • AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
     • APIKey: A Linear personal API key.

     To create a personal API key, log in to Linear, open Settings > Security & access > Personal API keys, select New API key, and create it. Copy the key immediately, because Linear shows it only once.

     Authenticating with OAuth

     OAuth requires a custom OAuth application registered in Linear (Settings > API > OAuth applications), which provides the OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret. Two flows are supported:

     • Authorization code: Set AuthScheme to OAuth, InitiateOAuth to GETANDREFRESH, and provide OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and the CallbackURL defined in your application (e.g., http://localhost:33333). The driver opens Linear in your browser so you can grant access.
     • Client credentials: Set AuthScheme to OAuthClient and provide OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret. This authenticates the application itself, with no browser interaction, and suits machine-to-machine integrations.

     By default, the driver requests the read,write scopes. The driver refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.

     Built-in Connection String Designer

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

     
     java -jar cdata.jdbc.linear.jar
     

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

     

     A typical JDBC URL is below:

     jdbc:linear:AuthScheme=APIKey;APIKey=myAPIKey;

   • Driver Class: Enter the driver class. The driver class is cdata.jdbc.linear.LinearDriver.
   • Driver Name: Enter a user-defined name for the driver.
   • Username: Enter the username used to authenticate.
   • Password: Enter the password used to authenticate.

You can now test the connection by enabling the CData Linear data source in the Actions column. After reporting a status of OK, the Linear data source is ready for use.

Execute Queries

The cfquery tag can pass SQL statements to Linear. Use the cfqueryparam tag to create parameterized queries and prevent SQL injection through the query string.

Note: To use the cfquery and cfscript, create a .cfm file. Inside the .cfm file, write the code to execute the query (see below). Place the file directly in the root directory of your web server (e.g., wwwroot in Adobe ColdFusion). Restart the service after placing the file for the changes to take effect.

<cfquery name="LinearQuery" dataSource="CDataLinear">
  SELECT * FROM Team WHERE key = <cfqueryparam value="#key#" cfsqltype="cf_sql_varchar">
</cfquery>
<cfdump var="#LinearQuery#">

Below is the equivalent in CFScript:

<cfscript>
result = queryExecute(
  "SELECT * FROM Team WHERE key = ?", 
  [
    { value="ENG", cfsqltype="cf_sql_varchar" }
  ],
  { datasource="CDataLinear" }
);

writeDump( var= result );
</cfscript> 

You can then make requests to your .cfm like the following:

http://MyServer:8500/query.cfm?key=ENG