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Get the Report →How to create an RPA flow for QuickBooks Online Data in UiPath Studio
Use the QuickBooks Online ODBC Driver to create workflows that access real-time QuickBooks Online data without any coding.
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 ODBC Driver for QuickBooks Online, users can embed QuickBooks Online data in the workflow.
This article walks through using the QuickBooks Online ODBC Driver in UiPath Studio to create an RPA program that accesses QuickBooks Online data.
About QuickBooks Online Data Integration
CData provides the easiest way to access and integrate live data from QuickBooks Online. Customers use CData connectivity to:
- Realize high-performance data reads thanks to push-down query optimization for complex operations like filters and aggregations.
- Read, write, update, and delete QuickBooks Online data.
- Run reports, download attachments, and send or void invoices directly from code using SQL stored procedures.
- Connect securely using OAuth and modern cryptography, including TLS 1.2, SHA-256, and ECC.
Many users access live QuickBooks Online data from preferred analytics tools like Power BI and Excel, directly from databases with federated access, and use CData solutions to easily integrate QuickBooks Online data with automated workflows for business-to-business communications.
For more information on how customers are solving problems with CData's QuickBooks Online solutions, refer to our blog: https://www.cdata.com/blog/360-view-of-your-customers.
Getting Started
Configure the Connection to QuickBooks Online
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.
QuickBooks Online uses the OAuth authentication standard. OAuth requires the authenticating user to log in through the browser. To authenticate using OAuth, you can use the embedded OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL or you can obtain your own by registering an app with Intuit. Additionally, if you want to connect to sandbox data, set UseSandbox to true.
See the Getting Started chapter of the help documentation for a guide to using OAuth.
Connect UiPath Studio to QuickBooks Online Data
Now you are ready to use QuickBooks Online data ODBC DSN in UiPath Studio with the following steps.
- From the Start page, click Blank to create a New Project.
- Click Manage Packages then search for and install UiPath.Database.Activities.
- Navigate to the Activities and drop a Flowchart (Workflow -> Flowchart -> Flowchart) onto the process.
- Drop a database Connect activity (App Integration -> Datbase -> Connect) after the Start activity.
- Double-click the Connect activity and configure the Connection.
- Click the Connection Wizard
- Select "Microsoft ODBC Data Source"
- In Connection Properties, select your DSN (CData QuickBooksOnline Source) and click OK
- 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 QuickBooks Online data in our RPA.
- From the Activities navigation, select Execute Query and drop it on the Flowchart.
- Double-click the Execute Query activity and set the properties as follows:
- ExistingDbConnection: Your Connection variable
- Sql: SELECT statement like SELECT DisplayName, Balance FROM Customers
- 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 QuickBooks Online data.
- From the Activities navigation, select Write CSV and drop it after the Execute Query activity.
- 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 QuickBooks Online data and exporting it to CSV.
Click Run to extract QuickBooks Online data and create a CSV file.
In this article, we used the CData ODBC Driver for QuickBooks Online to create an automation flow that accesses QuickBooks Online data in UiPath Studio. Download a free, 30-day trial of the ODBC Driver and start working with live QuickBooks Online data in UiPath Studio today!