How to work with PDFMonkey Data in Apache Spark using SQL

Apache Spark is a fast and general engine for large-scale data processing. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for PDFMonkey, Spark can work with live PDFMonkey data. This article describes how to connect to and query PDFMonkey data from a Spark shell.

The CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live PDFMonkey data due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries to PDFMonkey, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to PDFMonkey and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can work with and analyze PDFMonkey data using native data types.

Install the CData JDBC Driver for PDFMonkey

Download the CData JDBC Driver for PDFMonkey installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.

Start a Spark Shell and Connect to PDFMonkey Data

1. Open a terminal and start the Spark shell with the CData JDBC Driver for PDFMonkey JAR file as the jars parameter:

   $ spark-shell --jars /CData/CData JDBC Driver for PDFMonkey/lib/cdata.jdbc.api.jar
   

2. With the shell running, you can connect to PDFMonkey with a JDBC URL and use the SQL Context load() function to read a table.

   Using API Key Authentication

   PdfMonkey uses API key authentication. To obtain an API key:

   1. Log in to your PdfMonkey account at https://app.pdfmonkey.io
   2. Navigate to your account settings
   3. Open the API Key page
   4. Copy your API key

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

   • AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
   Set the following in the ProfileSettings connection property:
   • APIKey: Set this to your PdfMonkey API key.

   Example Connection String

   Profile=C:\profiles\PdfMonkey.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings="APIKey=your_api_key"
   

   Connecting to PdfMonkey

   Once the authentication is configured, you can connect to PdfMonkey and query data from any of the available tables such as CurrentUser, DocumentCards, Documents, DocumentTemplateCards, and DocumentTemplates.

   Built-in Connection String Designer

   For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the PDFMonkey 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.

   

   Configure the connection to PDFMonkey, using the connection string generated above.

   scala> val api_df = spark.sqlContext.read.format("jdbc").option("url", "jdbc:api:Profile=C:\profiles\PdfMonkey.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings="APIKey=your_api_key"").option("dbtable","CurrentUser").option("driver","cdata.jdbc.api.APIDriver").load()
   

3. Once you connect and the data is loaded you will see the table schema displayed.

4. Register the PDFMonkey data as a temporary table:

   scala> api_df.registerTable("currentuser")

5. Perform custom SQL queries against the Data using commands like the one below:

   scala> api_df.sqlContext.sql("SELECT ,  FROM CurrentUser WHERE  = ").collect.foreach(println)

   You will see the results displayed in the console, similar to the following:

   

Using the CData JDBC Driver for PDFMonkey in Apache Spark, you are able to perform fast and complex analytics on PDFMonkey data, combining the power and utility of Spark with your data. Download a free, 30 day trial of any of the hundreds of CData JDBC Drivers and get started today.