Connect to OpenWeatherMap Data in JRuby

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

Configure a JDBC Connection to OpenWeatherMap 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 OpenWeatherMap\lib).

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

Using API Key Authentication

To obtain an API key, sign up for a free account at https://openweathermap.org/api and navigate to the API keys section of your dashboard. Copy your API key for use in the connection configuration.

After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

• AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
• APIKey: Set this to your OpenWeatherMap API key.

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

java -jar cdata.jdbc.api.jar

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

Below is a typical JDBC connection string for OpenWeatherMap:

jdbc:api:Profile=C:\path\to\OpenWeatherMap.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings="APIKey=your_openweathermap_api_key";

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to OpenWeatherMap Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: APISelect.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 OpenWeatherMap 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.api.jar'

url = "jdbc:api:Profile=C:\path\to\OpenWeatherMap.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings="APIKey=your_openweathermap_api_key";"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT ,  FROM AccumulatedPrecipitation")
while (rs.next) do
  puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

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

jruby -S APISelect.rb

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