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Connect to Workday Data from PowerBuilder
This article demonstrates how to use the CData ODBC Driver for Workday to connect to Workday data and execute queries in PowerBuilder.
The CData ODBC Driver for Workday can be used from any platform or development technology that supports ODBC, including PowerBuilder. This article shows how to connect to Workday data and execute queries from the Database Painter and controls such as the DataWindow.
About Workday Data Integration
CData provides the easiest way to access and integrate live data from Workday. Customers use CData connectivity to:
- Access the tables and datasets you create in Prism Analytics Data Catalog, working with the native Workday data hub without compromising the fidelity of your Workday system.
- Access Workday Reports-as-a-Service to surface data from departmental datasets not available from Prism and datasets larger than Prism allows.
- Access base data objects with WQL, REST, or SOAP, getting more granular, detailed access but with the potential need for Workday admins or IT to help craft queries.
Users frequently integrate Workday with analytics tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and Excel, and leverage our tools to replicate Workday data to databases or data warehouses. Access is secured at the user level, based on the authenticated user's identity and role.
For more information on configuring Workday to work with CData, refer to our Knowledge Base articles: Comprehensive Workday Connectivity through Workday WQL and Reports-as-a-Service & Workday + CData: Connection & Integration Best Practices.
Getting Started
Connect to Workday as an ODBC Data Source
If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.
To connect to Workday, users need to find the Tenant and BaseURL and then select their API type.
Obtaining the BaseURL and Tenant
To obtain the BaseURL and Tenant properties, log into Workday and search for "View API Clients." On this screen, you'll find the Workday REST API Endpoint, a URL that includes both the BaseURL and Tenant.
The format of the REST API Endpoint is: https://domain.com/subdirectories/mycompany, where:
- https://domain.com/subdirectories/ is the BaseURL.
- mycompany (the portion of the url after the very last slash) is the Tenant.
Using ConnectionType to Select the API
The value you use for the ConnectionType property determines which Workday API you use. See our Community Article for more information on Workday connectivity options and best practices.
| API | ConnectionType Value |
|---|---|
| WQL | WQL |
| Reports as a Service | Reports |
| REST | REST |
| SOAP | SOAP |
Authentication
Your method of authentication depends on which API you are using.
- WQL, Reports as a Service, REST: Use OAuth authentication.
- SOAP: Use Basic or OAuth authentication.
See the Help documentation for more information on configuring OAuth with Workday.
Create a Profile for the ODBC Driver for Workday
Follow the steps below to use the Database Painter tool to create a database profile based on an ODBC DSN (data source name) for Workday. In the Database Painter, you can use wizards and the UI to work with Workday data.
- In PowerBuilder, click Tools -> Database Painter.
- In the Objects window in the Database Painter, right-click the ODBC node and click New Profile.
- On the Connection tab, enter a name for the profile and select the Workday DSN in the Data Source menu.
![]( "The ODBC DSN, required to create the Database Profile. (Salesforce is shown.)")
- To view and modify a table, right-click a table and then click Edit Data -> Grid.
Using Workday Data with PowerBuilder Controls
You can use standard PowerBuilder objects to connect to ODBC data sources and execute queries. The following example shows how to retrieve Workday data into a DataWindow. You can add the following code to the open method:
SQLCA.DBMS = "ODBC"
SQLCA.DBParm = "ConnectString='DSN=CData Workday Source'"
CONNECT USING SQLCA;
dw_workers.SetTransObject(SQLCA);
dw_workers.Retrieve();
Ready to get started?
Download a free trial of the Workday ODBC Driver to get started:
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Workday ODBC Driver
The Workday ODBC Driver is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with live data from Workday, directly from any applications that support ODBC connectivity.
Access Workday data like you would a database - read, write, and update Workday Cash Management, Compensation, Financial Management, Payroll, etc. through a standard ODBC Driver interface.
