Query Webflow Data in ColdFusion

The CData JDBC driver for Webflow seamlessly integrates connectivity to Webflow data with the rapid development tools in ColdFusion. This article shows how to connect to Webflow data in ColdFusion and query Webflow tables.

Create a JDBC Data Source for Webflow in ColdFusion

The JDBC data source enables you to execute SQL from standard ColdFusion tags like cfquery and CFScript like executeQuery.

1. Copy the driver JAR and .lic file from the installation directory onto the ColdFusion classpath. For example, copy the files into C:\MyColdFusionDirectory\cfusion\wwwroot\WEB-INF\lib. Or, open the Java and JVM page in the ColdFusion Administrator and enter the path to the files in the ColdFusion Class Path box.

   The JAR and license for the driver are located in the lib subfolder of the installation directory.

   Restart the server after this step.

2. Add the driver as a data source:

   From the ColdFusion administrator interface, expand the Data & Services node and click Data Sources. In the Add New Data Source section, enter a name for the data source and select Other in the Driver menu.

   

3. Populate the driver properties:

   • JDBC URL: Enter connection properties in the JDBC URL. The JDBC URL begins with jdbc:api: and is followed by the connection properties in a semicolon-separated list of name=value pairs.

     Authentication

     Webflow uses OAuth 2.0 authentication to ensure secure access to sites, CMS collections, e-commerce data, and other resources. This authentication method allows you to securely connect to your Webflow workspace and manage resources with proper authorization.

     OAuth 2.0 Setup and Configuration

     Step 1: Create a Webflow OAuth Application

     To set up OAuth authentication:

     1. Visit the Webflow Developer Portal
     2. Navigate to "Apps & Integrations" in your Webflow account
     3. Click "Register an App" to create a new OAuth application
     4. Configure the application name, description, and redirect URI (CallbackURL)
     5. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret for use in your connection

     Required Connection Properties

     • AuthScheme: Set this to OAuth (required)
     • OAuthClientId: Client ID from your Webflow OAuth application (required)
     • OAuthClientSecret: Client secret from your Webflow OAuth application (required)
     • CallbackURL: Redirect URI specified in your OAuth application (required)
     • InitiateOAuth: Set to GETANDREFRESH for automatic token management (recommended)

     Required OAuth Scopes

     The Webflow API Profile requires the following OAuth scopes:

     • sites:read - Read access to site information and configuration
     • pages:read - Read access to site pages
     • cms:read - Read access to CMS collections and items
     • forms:read - Read access to forms and form submissions
     • assets:read - Read access to media assets and folders
     • ecommerce:read - Read access to products, orders, and inventory
     • authorized_user:read - Read access to the authorized user

     Built-in Connection String Designer

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

     

     A typical JDBC URL is below:

     jdbc:api:Profile=C:\profiles\Webflow.apip;AuthScheme=OAuth;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;OAuthClientId=your_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=your_client_secret;CallbackUrl=your_callback_url;

   • Driver Class: Enter the driver class. The driver class is cdata.jdbc.api.APIDriver.
   • Driver Name: Enter a user-defined name for the driver.
   • Username: Enter the username used to authenticate.
   • Password: Enter the password used to authenticate.

You can now test the connection by enabling the CData Webflow data source in the Actions column. After reporting a status of OK, the Webflow data source is ready for use.

Execute Queries

The cfquery tag can pass SQL statements to Webflow. Use the cfqueryparam tag to create parameterized queries and prevent SQL injection through the query string.

Note: To use the cfquery and cfscript, create a .cfm file. Inside the .cfm file, write the code to execute the query (see below). Place the file directly in the root directory of your web server (e.g., wwwroot in Adobe ColdFusion). Restart the service after placing the file for the changes to take effect.

<cfquery name="APIQuery" dataSource="CDataAPI">
  SELECT * FROM Sites WHERE Id = <cfqueryparam value="#Id#" cfsqltype="cf_sql_varchar">
</cfquery>
<cfdump var="#APIQuery#">

Below is the equivalent in CFScript:

<cfscript>
result = queryExecute(
  "SELECT * FROM Sites WHERE Id = ?", 
  [
    { value="your_site_id", cfsqltype="cf_sql_varchar" }
  ],
  { datasource="CDataAPI" }
);

writeDump( var= result );
</cfscript> 

You can then make requests to your .cfm like the following:

http://MyServer:8500/query.cfm?Id=your_site_id