Connecting to GitHub Data API

To authenticate to GitHub Data API you must connect using OAuth authentication.

Desktop Applications

CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies OAuth desktop Authentication. Alternatively, you can create a custom OAuth application. See Creating a Custom OAuth App for information about creating custom applications and reasons for doing so.

Get and Refresh the OAuth Access Token

After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

• InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
• OAuthClientId (custom applications only): The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret (custom applications only): The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
• CallbackURL (custom application only): The redirect URI defined when you registered your application.
• OwnerLogin (optional): The name of the user or organization whose repository and projects you plan to query. If you do not explicitly specify an OwnerLogin, the driver uses the currently authenticated user.

When you connect, the adapter opens GitHub Data API's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application. The adapter then completes the OAuth process:

1. The adapter obtains an access token from GitHub Data API and uses it to request data.
2. The OAuth values are saved in the location specified in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.

The adapter refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.

Web Applications

When connecting via a Web application, you need to register a custom OAuth application with GitHub Data API. You can then use the adapter to get and manage the OAuth token values. See Creating a Custom OAuth App for more information.

Get an OAuth Access Token

Set the following connection properties to obtain the OAuthAccessToken:

• OAuthClientId: The client Id in your application settings.
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret in your application settings.

Then call stored procedures to complete the OAuth exchange:

1. Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. Set the AuthMode input to WEB and the CallbackURL to the Redirect URI you specified in your application settings. The stored procedure returns the URL to the OAuth endpoint.
2. Navigate to the URL that the stored procedure returned in Step 1. Log in and authorize the web application. You are redirected back to the callback URL.
3. Call the GetOAuthAccessToken stored procedure. Set the AuthMode input to WEB. Set the Verifier input to the code parameter in the query string of the redirect URI.

After you have obtained the access and refresh tokens, you can connect to data and refresh the OAuth access token automatically.

Automatic Refresh of the OAuth Access Token

To have the adapter automatically refresh the OAuth access token, set the following on the first data connection.

• InitiateOAuth: REFRESH
• OAuthClientId: The client Id in your application settings.
• OAuthClientSecret: The client secret in your application settings.
• OAuthAccessToken: The access token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: The location where you want the adapter to save the OAuth values, which persist across connections.

On subsequent data connections, set the following:

• InitiateOAuth
• OAuthSettingsLocation
• OwnerLogin (optional)

Headless Machines

To configure the driver to use OAuth with a user account on a headless machine, you need to authenticate on another device that has an internet browser.

1. Choose one of two options:
   • Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value as described in "Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code" below.
   • Option 2: Install the adapter on a machine with an internet browser and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow, as described in "Transfer OAuth Settings" below.
2. Then configure the adapter to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL.

Follow the steps below to authenticate from the machine with an internet browser and obtain the OAuthVerifier connection property.

1. Choose one of these options:
   • If you are using the Embedded OAuth Application, call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.
   • If you are using a custom OAuth application, set the following properties:
     • InitiateOAuth: Set to OFF.
     • OAuthClientId: Set to the client Id assigned when you registered your application.
     • OAuthClientSecret: Set to the client secret assigned when you registered your application.
     Then call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure with the appropriate CallbackURL. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.
2. Log in and grant permissions to the adapter. You are then redirected to the redirect URI. There will be a parameter called code appended to the redirect URI. Note the value of this parameter. Later you will set this in the OAuthVerifier connection property.

Next, you need to exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens.

On the headless machine, set the following connection properties to obtain the OAuth authentication values:

• InitiateOAuth: REFRESH
• OAuthVerifier: The noted verifier code (the value of the code parameter in the redirect URI).
• OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) The client Id in your custom OAuth application settings.
• OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) The client secret in the custom OAuth application settings.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to persist the encrypted OAuth authentication values to the specified location.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then re-set the following properties to connect:

• InitiateOAuth: REFRESH
• OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: The location containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. Make sure this location gives read and write permissions to the adapter to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.

Option 2: Transfer OAuth Settings

Prior to connecting on a headless machine, you need to install and create a connection with the driver on a device that supports an internet browser. Set the connection properties as described in "Desktop Applications" above.

After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the location specified by OAuthSettingsLocation. The default filename is OAuthSettings.txt.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then copy the OAuth settings file to your headless machine.

On the headless machine, set the following connection properties to connect to data:

• InitiateOAuth: REFRESH
• OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: The location of the OAuth settings file you copied from the machine with the browser. Make sure this location gives read and write permissions to the adapter to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.