Build TaxJar-Connected Web Apps in Servoy

Servoy is a rapid application development and deployment platform. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for TaxJar, users can build TaxJar-connected apps that work with live TaxJar data. This article describes how to connect to TaxJar from Servoy and build a simple web app to display and search TaxJar data.

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

Connect to TaxJar in Servoy Developer

To build TaxJar-connected apps, you need to first create a data provider in Servoy Developer using the CData JDBC Driver for TaxJar.

1. Install the JDBC Driver.
2. Copy the JDBC Driver JAR file. (cdata.jdbc.taxjar.jar) to the /application_server/drivers/ directory in the installation directory for Servoy.
3. Open Servoy Developer.
4. In the Solution Explorer, right-click Database Server (under Resources) and choose "Connect to existing database" -> "empty."
   1. Name the server.
   2. Click to show the advanced server settings.

      • Set the URL, for example: jdbc:taxjar:APIKey=3bb04218ef8t80efdf1739abf7257144;

        Built-In Connection String Designer

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

        java -jar cdata.jdbc.taxjar.jar

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

        To authenticate to the TaxJar API, you will need to first obtain the API Key from the TaxJar UI.

        NOTE: the API is available only for Professional and Premium TaxJar plans.

        If you already have a Professional or Premium plan you can find the API Key by logging in the TaxJar UI and navigating to Account -> TaxJar API. After obtaining the API Key, you can set it in the APIKey connection property.

        Additional Notes

        • By default, the CData connector will retrieve data of the last 3 months in cases where the entity support date range filtering. You can set StartDate to specify the minimum creation date of the data retrieved.
        • If the API Key has been created for a sandbox API account please set UseSandbox to true, but not all endpoints will work as expected. For more information, refer to the TaxJar developer documentation.
      • Select the Driver class you just copied, for example, cdata.jdbc.taxjar.TaxJarDriver

Build a TaxJar-Connected Web App

Once you have configured the connection to TaxJar in the Servoy Developer resources, you are ready to build apps with access to live TaxJar data.

Create a New Solution

1. In the Server Explorer, right-click "All solutions" and select "Create new solution."
2. Name the solution.
3. Select the checkbox to include the "search" module.
4. Click "Finish."

Create a New Form

Right-click "Forms" and select "Create new form."

1. Name the form.
2. Select a Datasource.
3. Set the type (e.g., Simple) and click "Finish."

Add a Data Grid to the Form

1. Drag a Data Grid component (from Servoy NG-Grids) onto the form.

2. Drag a column component onto the Data Grid and set the "dataprovider" property for each column component to a column from the TaxJar "table" (e.g., TransactionID from the Orders table).

   Continue adding columns as desired.

Add Searching to the App

Note that the "svySearch" extension is required to add search functionality (included by default when you create a new solution). If you did not add the extension when you created the solution or you are modifying an existing solution, you can add the search module by right-clicking Modules (in the solution) and selecting "Add Module." Select "svySearch" and click "OK."

1. Drag a Text Field component onto the Form.
2. Right-click the Form and select "Open in Script Editor."
3. Create a new variable (JavaScript) to hold the search value:

   var searchText = '';
   

4. Back on the Form, in the Text Field properties:
   1. Set the "dataprovider" property to the Form variable you just created.
   2. Double-click to add a method for the onAction event.
   3. Click to create the method in "Form," name the method (e.g., onEnter), and click "Create private."
   4. Click "OK & Show."
5. Add the following JavaScript to the JavaScript file to use the Servoy framework to implement searching bound data based on the text in the Text Field:

   var search = scopes.svySearch.createSimpleSearch(foundset).setSearchText(searchText);
   search.setSearchAllColumns();
   search.loadRecords(foundset);
   

Save and Launch the App

Save the form and JavaScript file, then click Run -> Launch NGClient to start the web app.

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for TaxJar and start building TaxJar-connected apps with Servoy. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.