Extend Google Sheets with SAP Data



Make calls to the API Server from Google Apps Script.

Interact with SAP data from Google Sheets through macros, custom functions, and add-ons. The CData API Server, when paired with the ADO.NET Provider for SAP (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers), enables connectivity to SAP data from cloud-based and mobile applications like Google Sheets. The API Server is a lightweight Web application that produces OData services for SAP 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 MARA data.

About SAP Data Integration

CData provides the easiest way to access and integrate live data from SAP. Customers use CData connectivity to:

  • Access every edition of SAP, including SAP R/3, SAP NetWeaver, SAP ERP / ECC 6.0, and SAP S/4 HANA on premises data that is exposed by the RFC.
  • Perform actions like sending IDoc or IDoc XML files to the server and creating schemas for functions or queries through SQL stored procedures.
  • Connect optimally depending on where a customer's SAP instance is hosted.

While most users leverage our tools to replicate SAP data to databases or data warehouses, many also integrate live SAP data with analytics tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and Excel.


Getting Started


Set Up the API Server

Follow the steps below to begin producing secure SAP 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 SAP

After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for SAP, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to SAP by clicking Settings -> Connections and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.

The Java edition supports connecting to an SAP system using the JCo .jar file. See the "Getting Started" chapter in the help documentation for information on using the Jco JAR file.

The Windows edition supports connecting to SAP systems using either the librfc32.dll, the librfc32u.dll, NetWeaver, or Web Services (SOAP). Set the ConnectionType connection property to CLASSIC (librfc32.dll), CLASSIC_UNICODE (librfc32u.dll), NETWEAVER, or SOAP.

Note: We do not distribute the librfc32.dll or other SAP assemblies. You must find them from your SAP installation and install them on your machine.

All versions of Sync support connecting to an SAP system using Web services (SOAP). If you are using the SOAP interface you must enable SOAP access to your SAP system and set the Client, RFCUrl, SystemNumber, User, and Password properties, under the Authentication section. Additionally, set the ConnectionType to SOAP.

See this guide on obtaining the connection properties needed to connect to any SAP system.

You can then choose the SAP 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 SAP 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/MARA?select=MANDT,MANDT,MBRSH,ERNAM"; 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 mara = JSON.parse(json).value; var cols = [["MANDT","MANDT","MBRSH","ERNAM"]]; sheet.getRange(1,1,1,4).setValues(cols); row=2; for(var i in mara){ for (var j in mara[i]) { switch (j) { case "MANDT": a1.offset(row,0).setValue(account[i][j]); break; case "MANDT": a1.offset(row,1).setValue(account[i][j]); break; case "MBRSH": a1.offset(row,2).setValue(account[i][j]); break; case "ERNAM": 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:

  1. Click Resources -> Current Project's Triggers -> Add a New Trigger.
  2. Select retrieve in the Run menu.
  3. Select From Spreadsheet.
  4. 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.

Ready to get started?

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CData API Server