Custom API Connector for Python In this article you will learn how to integrate Custom API data in Python (live / bi-directional connection to Custom API). Read / write Custom API data in Python without coding.. Using Custom API Connector you will be able to connect, read, and write data from within Python. Follow the steps below to see how we would accomplish that. Download Documentation The driver mentioned above is part of ODBC PowerPack which is a collection of high-performance Drivers for various API data source (i.e. REST API, JSON, XML, CSV, Amazon S3 and many more). Using familiar SQL query language you can make live connections and read/write data from API sources or JSON / XML / CSV Files inside SQL Server (T-SQL) or your favorite Reporting (i.e. Power BI, Tableau, Qlik, SSRS, MicroStrategy, Excel, MS Access), ETL Tools (i.e. Informatica, Talend, Pentaho, SSIS). You can also call our drivers from programming languages such as JAVA, C#, Python, PowerShell etc. If you are new to ODBC and ZappySys ODBC PowerPack then check the following links to get started. ODBC PowerPack - System Requirements and Installation Getting Started - Using ODBC PowerPack ODBC API Driver Help File

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Create ODBC Data Source (DSN) based on ZappySys API Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from Custom API using Python we first need to create a DSN (Data Source) which will access data from Custom API. We will later be able to read data using Python. Perform these steps:

1. Install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack.

2. Open ODBC Data Sources (x64):
   

3. Create a User Data Source (User DSN) based on ZappySys JSON Driver

   ZappySys JSON Driver

   

4. When the Configuration window appears give your data source a name if you haven't done that already. Then set the path to your created Custom API Connector (in the example below, we use Hello-World Connector). Finally, click Continue >> to proceed:

   

5. Now it's time to configure the Connection Manager. Select Authentication Type, e.g. Token Authentication. Then select API Base URL (in most cases, the default one is the right one). Check your Custom API reference for more information on how to authenticate.

6. Once the data source has been configured, you can preview data. Select the Preview tab and use settings similar to the following to preview data:
   

7. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Video instructions

Read data in Python from the DSN

1. Python code to get the data:
   

   CustomApiConnectorDSN')

   

2. When you run the code it will make the API call and read the data:
   

3. Here is Python program's code in text format:

   
       import pyodbc
       conn = pyodbc.connect('DSN=CustomApiConnectorDSN')
   
       cursor = conn.cursor()
   
       #execute query to fetch data from API service
       cursor.execute("SELECT id,title FROM products")
   
       row = cursor.fetchone()
       while row:
           print(row)
           row = cursor.fetchone()
   
       ##For loop example
       #for row in cursor:
       #    print(row)
   

4. If you want to avoid to be dependent on a DSN name and creating multiple DSNs for each platform (x86, x64), then you can use a fully qualified connection string. Simply go to your DSN and copy the Connection String . Then in your Python code use Connection String when initializing OdbcConnection object, for example:

   conn = pyodbc.connect('DRIVER={ZappySys JSON Driver};ServiceUrl=https://yourservices.provider.com/api/xxxx....;AuthName=Http;')

   How to get ZappySys Driver Connection String?

   Please follow the instructions below to retrieve the connection string for the ZappySys driver.

   1. Click on the Windows Start menu.

   2. In the search bar, type ODBC and press Enter.

   3. From the search results, choose ODBC Data Sources or ODBC Data Sources (32-bit) or a similar option depending on your system architecture and ODBC driver configuration.

   4. Choose your data source from the list, then click on the Configure button.
   5. After opening the Data Source UI, you should copy the connection string to a Notepad or text file for reference.
   6. Click on Copy Connection String button.
      When you click 'Copy Connection String,' you may encounter the following option:
      Choose the third option All Settings to copy everything and click on OK button.
      
      

   That's it connection string has been successfully copied.

How to install `pyodbc` in the Python?

Advanced topics

Create Custom Stored Procedure in ZappySys Driver

You can create procedures to encapsulate custom logic and then only pass handful parameters rather than long SQL to execute your API call.

Steps to create Custom Stored Procedure in ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here

1. Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Procedure:
   

2. Enter the desired Procedure name and click on OK:
   

3. Select the created Stored Procedure and write the your desired stored procedure and Save it and it will create the custom stored procedure in the ZappySys Driver:
   Here is an example stored procedure for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here
   

   CREATE PROCEDURE [usp_get_orders]
       @fromdate = '<<yyyy-MM-dd,FUN_TODAY>>'
    AS
       SELECT * FROM Orders where OrderDate >= '<@fromdate>';
   

   
   

4. That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your Stored Procedure using Exec Command. In this example it will extract the orders from the date 1996-01-01:
   

   Exec usp_get_orders '1996-01-01';

   
   

5. Let's generate the SQL Server Query Code to make the API call using stored procedure. Go to Code Generator Tab, select language as SQL Server and click on Generate button the generate the code.
   As we already created the linked server for this Data Source, in that you just need to copy the Select Query and need to use the linked server name which we have apply on the place of [MY_API_SERVICE] placeholder.
   

   SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([MY_API_SERVICE], 'EXEC usp_get_orders @fromdate=''1996-07-30''')

   
   

6. Now go to SQL served and execute that query and it will make the API call using stored procedure and provide you the response.
   

Create Custom Virtual Table in ZappySys Driver

ZappySys API Drivers support flexible Query language so you can override Default Properties you configured on Data Source such as URL, Body. This way you don't have to create multiple Data Sources if you like to read data from multiple EndPoints. However not every application support supplying custom SQL to driver so you can only select Table from list returned from driver.

If you're dealing with Microsoft Access and need to import data from an SQL query, it's important to note that Access doesn't allow direct import of SQL queries. Instead, you can create custom objects (Virtual Tables) to handle the import process.

Many applications like MS Access, Informatica Designer wont give you option to specify custom SQL when you import Objects. In such case Virtual Table is very useful. You can create many Virtual Tables on the same Data Source (e.g. If you have 50 URLs with slight variations you can create virtual tables with just URL as Parameter setting.

1. Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Table:
   

2. Enter the desired Table name and click on OK:
   

3. And it will open the New Query Window Click on Cancel to close that window and go to Custom Objects Tab.

4. Select the created table, Select Text Type AS SQL and write the your desired SQL Query and Save it and it will create the custom table in the ZappySys Driver:
   Here is an example SQL query for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders also. Read more about placeholders here
   

   SELECT
     "ShipCountry",
     "OrderID",
     "CustomerID",
     "EmployeeID",
     "OrderDate",
     "RequiredDate",
     "ShippedDate",
     "ShipVia",
     "Freight",
     "ShipName",
     "ShipAddress",
     "ShipCity",
     "ShipRegion",
     "ShipPostalCode"
   FROM "Orders"
   Where "ShipCountry"='USA'

   
   

5. That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your custom virtual table query. In this example it will extract the orders for the USA Shipping Country only:
   

   SELECT * FROM "vt__usa_orders_only"

   
   

6. Let's generate the SQL Server Query Code to make the API call using stored procedure. Go to Code Generator Tab, select language as SQL Server and click on Generate button the generate the code.
   As we already created the linked server for this Data Source, in that you just need to copy the Select Query and need to use the linked server name which we have apply on the place of [MY_API_SERVICE] placeholder.
   

   SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([MY_API_SERVICE], 'EXEC [usp_get_orders] ''1996-01-01''')

   
   

7. Now go to SQL served and execute that query and it will make the API call using stored procedure and provide you the response.
   

Conclusion

In this article we discussed how to connect to Custom API in Python and integrate data without any coding. Click here to Download Custom API Connector for Python and try yourself see how easy it is. If you still have any question(s) then ask here or simply click on live chat icon below and ask our expert (see bottom-right corner of this page).

Download Custom API Connector for Python Documentation 

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