Rapidly Develop NASA-Driven Apps with Active Query Builder

Write standard .NET to expose NASA data through an SQL interface: Active Query Builder helps developers write SQL interfaces; the CData ODBC Driver for NASA enables standards-based access to NASA. This integration uses the Microsoft ADO.NET Provider for ODBC as a bridge between the ODBC Driver and the Active Query Builder objects to build a visual SQL composer.

Connect to NASA as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

Using API Key Authentication

Most NASA API endpoints (APOD, NeoWS, DONKI, TechTransfer) require a NASA API key. Register for a free key at https://api.nasa.gov. The default DEMO_KEY provides limited access (30 requests/hour, 50 requests/day); a registered key allows 1,000 requests/hour.

The following endpoints do not require an API key and work without authentication: EONET (Earth Observatory Natural Event Tracker), EPIC (Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera), NASA Image and Video Library, and TechPort.

After obtaining your API key, set the following connection properties:

• AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
• APIKey: Set this to your NASA API key. Use DEMO_KEY for limited testing.

Example Connection String

Profile=C:\profiles\NASA.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;APIKey=YOUR_NASA_API_KEY

Connecting to NASA

Once the authentication is configured, you can connect to NASA and query data from any of the available tables such as AstronomyPictureOfDay, NearEarthObjectFeed, EonetEvents, and NasaImageLibrary.

Use SQL to Interact with NASA

Follow the steps below to create a WinForms visual query builder.

1. Open Active Query Builder for .NET WinForms.
2. In the new Windows Forms project go to the "File" menu and click "Connect..."
3. Under Database Connections, click "Add..."
4. Set your desired Connection Name (e.g. CData NASA), set Connection Type to "ODBC" and locate your previously configured DSN in the "User/System" DSN dropdown.
5. Click "OK" to save the new connection.
6. Back in the Database Connection wizard, select the newly created connection and click "OK."
7. Click "File" > "New Query" to create a QueryBuilder

You can now build queries visually: Double-click a table in the Columns Pane Area and an entity/relationship diagram is displayed in the Query Building Area. Columns that you select in the diagram are added to the query.