Using the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator

You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to edit the DSN configuration. Note that the DSN is created during the installation process.

Complete the following steps to edit the DSN configuration:

1. Select Start > Search, and enter ODBC Data Sources in the Search box.
2. Choose the version of the ODBC Administrator that corresponds to the bitness of your application (32-bit or 64-bit).
3. Click the System DSN tab.
4. Select the system data source and click Configure.
5. Edit the information on the Connection tab and click OK.

Note: For .NET Framework 4.0, the driver distributes Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable. For .NET Framework 3.5, the driver distributes Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable.

Ensuring Registry Access

The driver stores connection information in the Windows registry. To ensure that the driver can write to the registry, perform either of the following actions:

1. Run the calling application as an administrator.
2. Connect via a User DSN instead of a System DSN.

Connecting to Airtable

The driver requests tables and views from Airtable. There is one optional connection property available: Schema.

The Schema property limits the shown tables and views to a particular base. If limitation is desired, set this property to the name of the schema that you want to use. (This corresponds to the name of the Base in Airtable.)

In addition to all Airtable Bases, a static schema named Information is also available. This schema enables the querying of static tables such as Bases, Tables, and Users. If DisplayObjectIds is set to True, you must set the value of Schema to the Airtable Base id, not the name.

Authenticating to Airtable

You can authenticate to Airtable using either a Personal Access Token or OAuth PKCE.

Personal Access Token

First, generate a personal access token, if you have not done so already:

1. Log in to your user account.
2. Navigate to the token creation page.
3. Click Create new token.
4. Under Scopes, click Add a scope to add each of the following:
   • data.records:read
   • data.records:write
   • schema.bases:read
5. Under Access, add all the workspaces and bases that you want the token to have access to.
6. Click Create token to generate the token. Copy and save the generated token, as it will only be shown once.

Next, set the following:

• AuthScheme: PersonalAccessToken.
• Token: The value of the personal access token that you generated earlier.

OAuth PKCE

Set AuthScheme to OAuthPKCE.

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:

• 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. Specifying this value is optional if a value was not generated during the OAuth custom application creation process.
• CallbackURL (custom application only): The redirect URI defined when you registered your application. For example: http://localhost:3333

When you connect, the driver opens Airtable's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application. The driver refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.

Headless Machines

To configure the driver, 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 and PKCEVerifier values as described in "Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code" below.
   • Option 2: Install the driver on a machine with an internet browser and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow.
2. Then configure the driver to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtain and Exchange Verifier Codes

To obtain a verifier code and PKCE verifier, 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. Specifying this value is optional if a value was not generated during the OAuth custom application creation process.
     Then call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure with the appropriate CallbackURL. The stored procedure returns the URL to the OAuth endpoint as well as a PKCEVerifier value. Note the value of the PKCEVerifier for later use. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.
2. Log in and grant permissions to the driver. 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).
• PKCEVerifier: The PKCEVerifier value you noted earlier in Step 1.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to persist the encrypted OAuth authentication values to the specified location.
• 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. Specifying this value is optional if a value was not generated during the OAuth custom application creation process.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then reset 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. Specifying this value is optional if a value was not generated during the OAuth custom application creation process.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: The location containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. Make sure this location gives read and write permissions to the driver 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): Set this to the client Id assigned when you registered your application.
• OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only): Set this to the client secret assigned when you registered your application. Specifying this value is optional if a value was not generated during the OAuth custom application creation process.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to 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 driver to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.