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Extend Google Sheets with Dynamics 365 Business Central Data
Make calls to the API Server from Google Apps Script.
Interact with Dynamics 365 Business Central data from Google Sheets through macros, custom functions, and add-ons. The CData API Server, when paired with the ADO.NET Provider for Dynamics 365 Business Central (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers), enables connectivity to Dynamics 365 Business Central data from cloud-based and mobile applications like Google Sheets. The API Server is a lightweight Web application that produces OData services for Dynamics 365 Business Central 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 Accounts data and, as you make changes, executes updates to Dynamics 365 Business Central data.
Set Up the API Server
Follow the steps below to begin producing secure Dynamics 365 Business Central 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 Dynamics 365 Business Central
After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for Dynamics 365 Business Central, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to Dynamics 365 Business Central by clicking Settings -> Connections and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.
To authenticate to Dynamics 365 Business Central, you must provide the User and AccessKey properties.
To obtain the User and AccessKey values, navigate to the Users page in Dynamics 365 Business Central and then click on Edit. The User Name and Web Service Access Key values are what you will enter as the User and AccessKey connection string properties. Note that the User Name is not your email address. It is a shortened user name.
To connect to data, specify OrganizationUrl. If you have multiple companies in your organization, you must also specify the Company to indicate which company you would like to connect to. Company does not need to be specified if you have only one company.
You can then choose the Dynamics 365 Business Central 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 Dynamics 365 Business Central 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/Accounts?select=Id,accountid,Name,Name";
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 accounts = JSON.parse(json).value;
var cols = [["Id","accountid","Name","Name"]];
sheet.getRange(1,1,1,4).setValues(cols);
row=2;
for(var i in accounts){
for (var j in accounts[i]) {
switch (j) {
case "Id":
a1.offset(row,0).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
case "accountid":
a1.offset(row,1).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
case "Name":
a1.offset(row,2).setValue(account[i][j]);
break;
case "Name":
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.
Post Changes to Dynamics 365 Business Central Data
Add the following function to post changes to cells back to the API Server:
function buildReq(e){
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
var changes = e.range;
var id = sheet.getRange(changes.getRow(),1).getValue();
var col = sheet.getRange(1,changes.getColumn()).getValue();
var url = "http://MyServer/api.rsc/Accounts("+id+")";
var putdata = "{\"@odata.type\" : \"CDataAPI.Accounts\", \""+col+"\": \""+changes.getValue()+"\"}";;
UrlFetchApp.fetch(url,{
method: "put",
contentType: "application/json",
payload: putdata,
headers: {"Authorization": "Basic " + Utilities.base64Encode("MyUser:MyAuthtoken")}
});
}
Follow the steps below to add the update trigger:
- Click Resources -> Current Project's Triggers.
- Select buildReq in the Run menu.
- Select From Spreadsheet.
- Select On edit.
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.
As you make changes to cells, the API Server executes updates to Dynamics 365 Business Central data.
