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Extend Google Sheets with Azure Data Lake Storage Data
Make calls to the API Server from Google Apps Script.
Interact with Azure Data Lake Storage data from Google Sheets through macros, custom functions, and add-ons. The CData API Server, when paired with the ADO.NET Provider for Azure Data Lake Storage (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers), enables connectivity to Azure Data Lake Storage data from cloud-based and mobile applications like Google Sheets. The API Server is a lightweight Web application that produces OData services for Azure Data Lake Storage and any source supported by the CData ADO.NET Providers.
Google Apps Script can consume these OData services in the JSON format. This article shows how to create a simple add-on that populates a Google Spreadsheet with Resources data.
Set Up the API Server
Follow the steps below to begin producing secure Azure Data Lake Storage OData services:
Deploy
The API Server runs on your own server. On Windows, you can deploy using the stand-alone server or IIS. On a Java servlet container, drop in the API Server WAR file. See the help documentation for more information and how-tos.
The API Server is also easy to deploy on Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2, and Heroku.
Connect to Azure Data Lake Storage
After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for Azure Data Lake Storage, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage by clicking Settings -> Connections and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.
Authenticating to a Gen 1 DataLakeStore Account
Gen 1 uses OAuth 2.0 in Azure AD for authentication.
For this, an Active Directory web application is required. You can create one as follows:
To authenticate against a Gen 1 DataLakeStore account, the following properties are required:
- Schema: Set this to ADLSGen1.
- Account: Set this to the name of the account.
- OAuthClientId: Set this to the application Id of the app you created.
- OAuthClientSecret: Set this to the key generated for the app you created.
- TenantId: Set this to the tenant Id. See the property for more information on how to acquire this.
- Directory: Set this to the path which will be used to store the replicated file. If not specified, the root directory will be used.
Authenticating to a Gen 2 DataLakeStore Account
To authenticate against a Gen 2 DataLakeStore account, the following properties are required:
- Schema: Set this to ADLSGen2.
- Account: Set this to the name of the account.
- FileSystem: Set this to the file system which will be used for this account.
- AccessKey: Set this to the access key which will be used to authenticate the calls to the API. See the property for more information on how to acquire this.
- Directory: Set this to the path which will be used to store the replicated file. If not specified, the root directory will be used.
You can then choose the Azure Data Lake Storage entities you want to allow the API Server to access by clicking Settings -> Resources.
Authorize API Server Users
After determining the OData services you want to produce, authorize users by clicking Settings -> Users. The API Server uses authtoken-based authentication and supports the major authentication schemes. Access can also be restricted based on IP address: Connections from all addresses except localhost are blocked by default, so you will need to allow connections from Google's servers for this article. You can authenticate as well as encrypt connections with SSL.
Retrieve Azure Data Lake Storage Data
Open the Script Editor from your spreadsheet by clicking Tools -> Script Editor. In the Script Editor, add the following function to populate a spreadsheet with the results of an OData query:
function retrieve(){
var url = "https://MyUrl/api.rsc/Resources?select=Id,FullPath,Permission,Type";
var response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url,{
headers: {"Authorization": "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode("MyUser:MyAuthtoken")}
});
var json = response.getContentText();
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var a1 = sheet.getRange('a1');
var index=1;
var resources = JSON.parse(json).value;
var cols = [["Id","FullPath","Permission","Type"]];
sheet.getRange(1,1,1,4).setValues(cols);
row=2;
for(var i in resources){
for (var j in resources[i]) {
switch (j) {
case "Id":
a1.offset(row,0).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
case "FullPath":
a1.offset(row,1).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
case "Permission":
a1.offset(row,2).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
case "Type":
a1.offset(row,3).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
}
}
row++;
}
}
Follow the steps below to add an installable trigger to populate the spreadsheet when opened:
- Click Resources -> Current Project's Triggers -> Add a New Trigger.
- Select retrieve in the Run menu.
- Select From Spreadsheet.
- Select On open.
After closing the dialog, you are prompted to allow access to the application.
You can test the script by clicking Publish -> Test as Add-On. Select the version, installation type, and spreadsheet to create a test configuration. You can then select and run the test configuration.
