Tableau Connector for Smartsheet

Build 24.0.9060

Configuring a Connection

After Installing the Connector you can connect and create a Data Source for data in Smartsheet.

Setting Up a Data Source

Complete the following steps to connect to the data:

  1. Under Connect | To a Server, click More....
  2. Select the data source called Smartsheet by CData.
  3. Enter the information required for the connection.
  4. Click Sign In.
  5. If necessary, select a Database and Schema to discover what tables and views are available.

Using the Connection Builder

The connector makes the most common connection properties available directly in Tableau. However, it can be difficult to use if you need to use more advanced settings or need to troubleshoot connection issues. The connector includes a separate connection builder that allows you to create and test connections outside of Tableau.

There are two ways to access the connection builder:

  • On Windows, use a shortcut called Connection Builder in the Start menu, under the CData Tableau Connector for Smartsheet folder.
  • You can also start the connection builder by going to the driver install directory and running the .jar file in the lib directory.

In the connection builder, you can set values for connection properties and click Test Connection to validate that they work. You can also use the Copy to Clipboard button to save the connection string. This connection string can be given to the Connection String option included in the connector connection window in Tableau.

Connecting to Smartsheet

Smartsheet supports connections via the following authentication methods:

  • Using the Personal Access Token

Personal Access Token

Use the personal token to test and to access your own data. To obtain the personal token, follow the steps below:

  1. Log into Smartsheet.
  2. Click Account and select Personal Settings.
  3. Click API Access and use the form to generate new access tokens or manage existing access tokens.
Set the AuthScheme to PersonalAccessToken. You can then set the PersonalAccessToken to the token you generated.

Synch Connections

Before you connect, set the following variables:

  • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.

Click Connect to Smartsheet to open the OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

The driver then completes the OAuth process as follows:

  • Extracts the access token from the callback URL.
  • Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
  • Saves OAuth values so that they persist across connections.

Next Step

See Using the Connector to create data visualizations.

Copyright (c) 2024 CData Software, Inc. - All rights reserved.
Build 24.0.9060