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Complete read-write access to Xero accounting enables developers to search (Customers, Transactions, Invoices, Sales Receipts, etc.), update items, edit customers, and more, from any Java/J2EE application.

Query Xero Data in DataGrip



Create a Data Source for Xero in DataGrip and use SQL to query live Xero data.

DataGrip is a database IDE that allows SQL developers to query, create, and manage databases. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for Xero, DataGrip can work with live Xero data. This article shows how to establish a connection to Xero data in DataGrip and use the table editor to load Xero data.

Create a New Driver Definition for Xero

The steps below describe how to create a new Data Source in DataGrip for Xero.

  1. In DataGrip, click File -> New > Project and name the project
  2. In the Database Explorer, click the plus icon () and select Driver.
  3. In the Driver tab:
    • Set Name to a user-friendly name (e.g. "CData Xero Driver")
    • Set Driver Files to the appropriate JAR file. To add the file, click the plus (), select "Add Files," navigate to the "lib" folder in the driver's installation directory and select the JAR file (e.g. cdata.jdbc.xero.jar).
    • Set Class to cdata.jdbc.xero.Xero.jar
    Additionally, in the advanced tab you can change driver properties and some other settings like VM Options, VM environment, VM home path, DBMS, etc
    • For most cases, change the DBMS type to "Unknown" in Expert options to avoid native SQL Server queries (Transact-SQL), which might result in an invalid function error
  4. Click "Apply" then "OK" to save the Connection

Configure a Connection to Xero

  1. Once the connection is saved, click the plus (), then "Data Source" then "CData Xero Driver" to create a new Xero Data Source.
  2. In the new window, configure the connection to Xero with a JDBC URL.

    Built-in Connection String Designer

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

    java -jar cdata.jdbc.xero.jar

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

    To connect, set the Schema connection property in addition to any authentication values. Xero offers authentication for private applications, public applications, and partner applications. You will need to set the XeroAppAuthentication property to PUBLIC, PRIVATE, or PARTNER, depending on the type of application configured. To connect from a private application, you will additionally need to set the OAuthAccessToken, OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, CertificateStoreType, CertificateStore, and CertificateStorePassword.

    To connect from a public or partner application, you can use the embedded OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL, or you can register an app to obtain your own OAuth values.

    See the "Getting Started" chapter of the help documentation for a guide to authenticating to Xero.

  3. Set URL to the connection string, e.g., jdbc:xero:InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH
  4. Click "Apply" and "OK" to save the connection string

At this point, you will see the data source in the Data Explorer.

Execute SQL Queries Against Xero

To browse through the Xero entities (available as tables) accessible through the JDBC Driver, expand the Data Source.

To execute queries, right click on any table and select "New" -> "Query Console."

In the Console, write the SQL query you wish to execute. For example: SELECT Name, SUM(QuantityOnHand) FROM Items GROUP BY Name

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Xero and start working with your live Xero data in DataGrip. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.