JDBC Driver for QuickBooks Online

Build 25.0.9434

Establishing a Connection

Creating a JDBC Data Source

You can create a JDBC data source to connect from your Java application. Creating a JDBC data source based on the CData JDBC Driver for QuickBooks Online consists of three basic steps:

  1. Add the driver JAR file to the classpath. The JAR file is located in the lib subfolder of the installation directory. Note that the .lic file must be located in the same folder as the JAR file.
  2. Provide the driver class. For example: 
    cdata.jdbc.quickbooksonline.QuickBooksOnlineDriver
  3. Provide the JDBC URL. For example: 
    jdbc:quickbooksonline:InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;

or

jdbc:cdata:quickbooksonline:InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;

    You can use the second format above whenever there is a conflict in your application between drivers using the same URL format to ensure you are using the CData driver. The URL must start with either "jdbc:quickbooksonline:" or "jdbc:cdata:quickbooksonline:" and can include any of the connection properties in name-value pairs separated with semicolons.

Authenticating to QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online supports connecting and authenticating via a desktop application, a web browser, or a headless machine. The CData JDBC Driver for QuickBooks Online includes embedded OAuth credentials that simplify connection from the desktop or a headless machine and provide limited functionality. However, to experience fuller functionality via desktop or headless machine connections OR to connect via the web, you must create a custom OAuth application, as described in Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

The following subsections describe how to authenticate to QuickBooks Online from all OAuth workflows. For information about how to create a custom OAuth application, see Creating a Custom OAuth Application. For a complete list of connection string properties available in QuickBooks Online, see Connection.

Desktop Applications

The properties required for connection depend on whether you want to connect via the embedded OAuth credentials (limited use) or connect via a custom OAuth Application (full functionality):

Before you connect, set the required properties:

When you connect, the driver opens QuickBooks Online's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

After you grant permissions to the application, the driver completes the OAuth process:

  1. The driver obtains an access token from QuickBooks Online and uses it to request data.
  2. The OAuth values are saved in the path specified in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.

When the access token expires, the driver refreshes it automatically.

Web Applications

Authenticating via the Web requires you to create and register a custom OAuth application with QuickBooks Online, as described in Creating a Custom OAuth Application. You can then use the driver to get and manage the OAuth token values.

This section describes how to get the OAuth access token, how to have the driver refresh the OAuth access token automatically, and how to refresh the OAuth access token manually.

Get the OAuth access token:

  1. To obtain the OAuthAccessToken, set these connection properties:

  2. Call stored procedures to complete the OAuth exchange:

    • Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. Set the AuthMode input to WEB and the CallbackURL to the Redirect URI you specified in your custom OAuth application settings. The stored procedure returns the URL to the OAuth endpoint.
    • 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.
    • 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 obtain 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 driver automatically refresh the OAuth access token, do the following:

  1. The first time you connect to data, set these connection parameters:

  2. On subsequent data connections, set:

Manual refresh of the OAuth access token:

The only value needed to manually refresh the OAUth access token is the OAuth refresh token.

  1. To manually refresh the OAuthAccessToken after the ExpiresIn period (returned by GetOAuthAccessToken) has elapsed, call the RefreshOAuthAccessToken stored procedure.
  2. Set these connection properties:

  3. Call RefreshOAuthAccessToken with OAuthRefreshToken set to the OAuth refresh token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
  4. After the new tokens have been retrieved, set the OAuthAccessToken property to the value returned by RefreshOAuthAccessToken. This opens a new connection.

Store the OAuth refresh token so that you can use it to manually refresh the OAuth access token after it has expired.

Headless Machines

If you need to log in to a resource that resides on a headless machine, you must authenticate on another device that has an internet browser. You can do this in either of the following ways:

  • Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value.
  • 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.

After you execute either Option 1 or Option 2, configure the driver to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtaining and Exchanging a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL as follows:

  1. Authenticate from the machine with an internet browser, and obtain the OAuthVerifier connection property.

    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 these properties:

  2. Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. The stored procedure returns the CallbackURL established when the custom OAuth application was registered (see Creating a Custom OAuth Application).

    Copy this URL and paste it into a new browser tab.

  3. Log in and grant permissions to the driver. The OAuth application redirects you the redirect URI, with a parameter called code appended. Note the value of this parameter; you will need it later, to configure the OAuthVerifier connection property.

  4. Exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens. On the headless machine, to obtain the OAuthAccessToken, set these connection properties:

Option 2: Transferring OAuth Settings

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

After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the path 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.

To connect to data via the headless machine, set these connection properties:

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Build 25.0.9434