Query xBase Data as a SQL Server Database in Node.js

You can use CData Connect AI to query xBase data through a SQL Server interface. Follow the procedure below to create a virtual database for xBase in Connect AI and start querying using Node.js.

CData Connect AI provides a pure MySQL, cloud-to-cloud interface for xBase, allowing you to easily query live xBase data in Node.js — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you query data in Node.js, CData Connect AI pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to xBase, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return xBase data.

Configure xBase Connectivity for NodeJS

Connectivity to xBase from NodeJS is made possible through CData Connect AI. To work with xBase data from NodeJS, we start by creating and configuring a xBase connection.

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

2. Select "xBase" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to xBase.

   The DataSource property must be set to the name of the folder that contains the .dbf files. Specify the IncludeFiles property to work with xBase table files having extensions that differ from .dbf. Specify multiple extensions in a comma-separated list.

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

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect AI 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 AI. 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 AI 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.

With the connection configured and a PAT generated, you are ready to connect to xBase data from Node.js.

Query xBase from Node.js

The following example shows how to define a connection and execute queries to xBase with the SQL Server module. You will need the following information:

• server: tds.cdata.com
• port: 14333
• user: a Connect AI user (e.g. [email protected])
• password: the PAT for the above user
• database: The connection you configured for xBase (xBase1)

Connect to xBase data and start executing queries with the code below:

var sql = require('mssql')
var config = {
	server: 'tds.cdata.com',
	port: 14333, 
	user: '[email protected]', //update me
	password: 'CONNECT_USER_PAT', //update me	
	options: {
		encrypt: true,
		database: 'xBase1'
	}
}

sql.connect(config, err => { 
    if(err){
        throw err ;
    }
    new sql.Request().query('SELECT * FROM Invoices', (err, result) => {
        console.dir(result)
    })
        
});

sql.on('error', err => {
    console.log("SQL Error: " ,err);
})