How to create an RPA flow for Placid Data in UiPath Studio

UiPath is a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform with rich features and an easy-to-use UI that enables non-developers to create process automation. By using UiPath Studio, you can build an RPA program just like drawing a diagram. With the CData API Driver for ODBC, users can embed Placid data in the workflow.

This article explains how to use the Placid ODBC Driver in UiPath Studio to create an RPA program that accesses Placid data.

Configure the Connection to Placid

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.

Placid uses API Key authentication to control access to the API. API tokens are project-specific and can be obtained from your project settings on placid.app.

Using API Key Authentication

To obtain your API key, log in to placid.app, navigate to your project, open the project settings, and generate an API token from the API section. Note that each API token is scoped to a specific project.

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

• AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
• APIKey: Set this to your Placid project API token.

Example connection string:

Profile=C:\profiles\Placid.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings='APIKey=your_project_api_token';

Connect UiPath Studio to Placid Data

Now you are ready to use Placid data ODBC DSN in UiPath Studio with the following steps.

1. From the Start page, click Blank to create a New Project.
2. Click Manage Packages then search for and install UiPath.Database.Activities.
3. Navigate to the Activities and drop a Flowchart (Workflow -> Flowchart -> Flowchart) onto the process.
4. Drop a database Connect activity (App Integration -> Datbase -> Connect) after the Start activity.
5. Double-click the Connect activity and configure the Connection.
   1. Click the Connection Wizard
   2. Select "Microsoft ODBC Data Source"
   3. In Connection Properties, select your DSN (CData API Source) and click OK
6. To store Connection info, create a variable and bind to Output in the Properties section. Choose DatabaseConnection in Output.
   

Create an Execute Query Activity

With the connection configured, we are ready to query Placid data in our RPA.

1. From the Activities navigation, select Execute Query and drop it on the Flowchart.
2. Double-click the Execute Query activity and set the properties as follows:
   • ExistingDbConnection: Your Connection variable
   • Sql: SELECT statement like SELECT , FROM Collections WHERE = ''
   • DataTable: Create and use a variable with the Type System.Data.DataTable
   

Create Write CSV Activity

With the Connection and Execute Query activities configured, we are ready to add a Write CSV activity to the Flowchart to replicate the Placid data.

1. From the Activities navigation, select Write CSV and drop it after the Execute Query activity.
2. Double-click the Write CSV activity and set the properties as follows:
   • FilePath: Set to a file (new or existing) on disk (i.e.: C:\UiPath[id]-data.csv
   • DataTable: Set to the DataTable variable you created earlier

Connect the Activities and Run the Flowchart

If they are not already connected, connect each Activity that you created to complete the RPA project for extracting Placid data and exporting it to CSV.

Click Run to extract Placid data and create a CSV file.

In this article, we used the CData API Driver for ODBC to create an automation flow that accesses Placid data in UiPath Studio. Download a free, 30-day trial of the ODBC Driver and start working with live Placid data in UiPath Studio today!