Connect to OpenWeatherMap Data in RapidMiner

This article shows how you can easily integrate the CData JDBC driver for OpenWeatherMap into your processes in RapidMiner. This article uses the CData JDBC Driver for OpenWeatherMap to transfer OpenWeatherMap data to a process in RapidMiner.

Connect to OpenWeatherMap in RapidMiner as a JDBC Data Source

You can follow the procedure below to establish a JDBC connection to OpenWeatherMap:

1. Add a new database driver for OpenWeatherMap: Click Connections -> Manage Database Drivers.
2. In the resulting wizard, click the Add button and enter a name for the connection.
3. Enter the prefix for the JDBC URL:

   jdbc:api:
   

4. Enter the path to the cdata.jdbc.api.jar file, located in the lib subfolder of the installation directory.
5. Enter the driver class:

   cdata.jdbc.api.APIDriver
   

   
6. Create a new OpenWeatherMap connection: Click Connections -> Manage Database Connections.
7. Enter a name for your connection.
8. For Database System, select the OpenWeatherMap driver you configured previously.
9. Enter your connection string in the Host box.

   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.

   

   A typical connection string is below:

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

10. Enter your username and password if necessary.

You can now use your OpenWeatherMap connection with the various RapidMiner operators in your process. To retrieve OpenWeatherMap data, drag the Retrieve operator from the Operators view. With the Retrieve operator selected, you can then define which table to retrieve in the Parameters view by clicking the folder icon next to the "repository entry." In the resulting Repository Browser, you can expand your connection node to select the desired example set.

Finally, wire the output to the Retrieve process to a result, and run the process to see the OpenWeatherMap data.