Connect to LinkedIn Data in JRuby



Create a simple JRuby app with access to live LinkedIn data.

JRuby is a high-performance, stable, fully threaded Java implementation of the Ruby programming language. The CData JDBC Driver for LinkedIn makes it easy to integrate connectivity to live LinkedIn data in JRuby. This article shows how to create a simple JRuby app that connects to LinkedIn data, executes a query, and displays the results.

Configure a JDBC Connection to LinkedIn Data

Before creating the app, note the installation location for the JAR file for the JDBC Driver (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for LinkedIn\lib).

JRuby natively supports JDBC, so you can easily connect to LinkedIn and execute SQL queries. Initialize the JDBC connection with the getConnection function of the java.sql.DriverManager class.

LinkedIn uses the OAuth 2 authentication standard. You will need to obtain the OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret by registering an app with LinkedIn. For more information refer to our authentication guide.

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

java -jar cdata.jdbc.linkedin.jar

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

Below is a typical JDBC connection string for LinkedIn:

jdbc:linkedin:OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:portNumber;CompanyId=XXXXXXXInitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to LinkedIn Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: LinkedInSelect.rb) and open it in a text editor. Copy the following code into your file:

require 'java' require 'rubygems' require 'C:/Program Files/CData/CData JDBC Driver for LinkedIn 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.linkedin.jar' url = "jdbc:linkedin:OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:portNumber;CompanyId=XXXXXXXInitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH" conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url) stmt = conn.createStatement rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT VisibilityCode, Comment FROM CompanyStatusUpdates") while (rs.next) do puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2) end

With the file completed, you are ready to display your LinkedIn data with JRuby. To do so, simply run your file from the command line:

jruby -S LinkedInSelect.rb

Writing SQL-92 queries to LinkedIn allows you to quickly and easily incorporate LinkedIn data into your own JRuby applications. Download a free trial today!

Ready to get started?

Download a free trial of the LinkedIn Driver to get started:

 Download Now

Learn more:

LinkedIn Icon LinkedIn JDBC Driver

A straightforward interface to connect any Java application with LinkedIn integration capabilities including People, Profiles, Companies, Groups, Jobs, and more!