Build QuickBooks Time-Connected Apps in Bubble

Bubble is a no-code platform that simplifies the process of developing and launching apps and businesses. When coupled with CData Connect Cloud, you gain effortless no-code access to QuickBooks Time data for streamlined app development. This article guides you through the integration process from Bubble to QuickBooks Time using CData Connect Cloud.

CData Connect Cloud provides a pure cloud-to-cloud OData interface for QuickBooks Time data that allows you to integrate from Bubble to QuickBooks Time data in real time.

Connect to QuickBooks Time from Bubble

To work with QuickBooks Time data from Bubble, we need to connect to QuickBooks Time from Connect Cloud, provide user access to the connection, and create a Workspace for the QuickBooks Time data.

Connect to QuickBooks Time from Connect Cloud

CData Connect Cloud uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.

1. Log into Connect Cloud, click Sources, and then click Add Connection

2. Select "QuickBooks Time" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to QuickBooks Time.

   TSheets uses the OAuth2 standard for authentication and authorization. To construct your own OAuth app and connect to data, refer to OAuth section in the Help.

   
4. Click Create & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add QuickBooks Time Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect Cloud through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect Cloud. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect Cloud app to open the settings page.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give the PAT a name and click Create.
4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

Configure QuickBooks Time Endpoints for Bubble

After connecting to QuickBooks Time, create a workspace for your desired table(s).

1. Navigate to the Workspaces page and click Add to create a new Workspace (or select an existing workspace).
2. Click Add to add new assets to the Workspace.
3. Select the QuickBooks Time connection (e.g. TSheets1) and click Next.
4. Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm.
5. Make note of the OData Service URL for your workspace, e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}

With the connection, PAT, and Workspace configured, you are ready to connect to QuickBooks Time data from Bubble.

Build a QuickBooks Time-Connected App

With OData endpoints added to Connect Cloud, you can build an app in Bubble with live access to QuickBooks Time data.

Configure the Bubble API Connector

To start, Configure the API Connector for accessing CData Connect Cloud from Bubble.

1. In your app, click the Plugins tab and click Add plugins
2. Search for "API Connector" and click Install
3. After installation, click the "Add another API" button and configure the API:
   • Name the API
   • Set Authentication to "HTTP Basic Auth"
   • Set Username to a Connect Cloud user (e.g. [email protected])
   • Set Password to the PAT for the user
   • Expand the API Call, select the "GET" command and set the URL to a Workspace endpoint you previously configured (e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}/Timesheets)
   
4. Click the "Initialize call" button to adjust data types in the response (as needed)
5. After making any necessary changes, click "Save"

Configure the App UI

With the API Connector configure, you are ready to retrieve QuickBooks Time data in your Bubble app. In this article, we request the data with a UI component that can display an Excel-like table.

1. On the Plugin tab, install the "Excel-like HandsonTable"
2. On the Design tab, add an "Excel Table" to the workspace
3. In the Excel Table, in Data source, select "Get data from an external API"
4. Set Type of content to "API Call value"
5. Set Data source to "CData Connect Cloud - API Call's value" (or equivalent)
6. Click "Preview" to ensure the data was retrieved from QuickBooks Time.

At this point, you can develop applications with live access to QuickBooks Time data without needing to know the complexities of the back-end API.

Live Access to QuickBooks Time Data from Cloud Applications

Now you have a direct connection to live QuickBooks Time data from Bubble. You can create more QuickBooks Time-connected apps — all without writing any code or replicating QuickBooks Time data.

To get live data access to 100+ SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your cloud applications, see the CData Connect Cloud.