Connect to ZenRows Data in JRuby

JRuby is a high-performance, stable, fully threaded Java implementation of the Ruby programming language. The CData JDBC Driver for ZenRows makes it easy to integrate connectivity to live ZenRows data in JRuby. This article shows how to create a simple JRuby app that connects to ZenRows data, executes a query, and displays the results.

Configure a JDBC Connection to ZenRows Data

Before creating the app, note the installation location for the JAR file for the JDBC Driver (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for ZenRows\lib).

JRuby natively supports JDBC, so you can easily connect to ZenRows and execute SQL queries. Initialize the JDBC connection with the getConnection function of the java.sql.DriverManager class.

Start by setting the Profile connection property to the location of the ZenRows Profile on disk (e.g. C:\profiles\ZenRows.apip). Next, set the ProfileSettings connection property to the connection string for ZenRows (see below).

ZenRows API Profile Settings

To use the ZenRows API, you need to obtain an API key from your ZenRows account. Navigate to the ZenRows dashboard at app.zenrows.com and copy your API key from the account settings.

After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

• AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
• APIKey: Set this to your ZenRows API key.

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

Below is a typical JDBC connection string for ZenRows:

jdbc:api:Profile=C:\profiles\ZenRows.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings='APIKey=your_api_key';

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to ZenRows Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: APISelect.rb) and open it in a text editor. Copy the following code into your file:

require 'java'
require 'rubygems'
require 'C:/Program Files/CData/CData JDBC Driver for ZenRows 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.api.jar'

url = "jdbc:api:Profile=C:\profiles\ZenRows.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings='APIKey=your_api_key';"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT ProductId, ProductName FROM AmazonDiscovery")
while (rs.next) do
  puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

With the file completed, you are ready to display your ZenRows data with JRuby. To do so, simply run your file from the command line:

jruby -S APISelect.rb

Writing SQL-92 queries to ZenRows allows you to quickly and easily incorporate ZenRows data into your own JRuby applications. Download a free trial today!