Connecting to Twitter (OAuth)

NOTE: Which version of OAuth you use depends on the table or view you want to access. For the StreamRules table and the TweetStream view, you must use OAuth 2.0 App-Only. For all other tables and views, use OAuth 1.1.

OAuth 2.0 App-Only (Bearer Token)

To establish a connection for the StreamRules table or the TweetStream view, you need to authenticate using OAuth 2.0 App-Only authentication.

First, generate a bearer token from Twitter's website. The YourBearerToken value is generated from: Twitter's Developer Portal > ProjectOfInterest > Keys and Tokens. For more information, see the Twitter Developers Portal Documentation.

After generating the token and setting the following, you are ready to connect:

• InitiateOAuth: Set this to OFF
• OAuthAccessToken: Set this to YourBearerToken's value.

If you want to access any other tables and views (besides StreamRules and TweetStream), follow the OAuth 1.1 procedures described below.

OAuth 1.1

Desktop Applications

You can connect without setting any connection properties for your user credentials. Or you can create a custom OAuth application. See Creating a Custom OAuth App for more information about custom OAuth applications.

The only difference between the two is that you must set additional connection properties if you choose to use a custom application.

After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

• InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
• OAuthClientId (custom applications only): Set this to the consumer key in your app settings.
• OAuthClientSecret (custom applications only): Set this to the consumer secret in your app settings.

When you connect the provider opens the OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application. The provider then completes the OAuth process.

1. Extracts the access token from the callback URL and authenticates requests.
2. Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
3. Saves OAuth values in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.

Web Applications

When connecting via a Web application, or if the provider is not authorized to open a browser window, use stored procedures and set InitiateOAuth to manage the temporary OAuth tokens. Get an Access Token To obtain the access token, set the following connection properties:

• OAuthClientId: Set this to the ClientId that you received.
• OAuthClientSecret: Set this to the ClientSecret that you received.

With these properties set, follow the steps below to call stored procedures to obtain the OAuthAccessToken:

1. Call GetOAuthAuthorizationURL. The stored procedure returns the URL to the OAuth endpoint, along with the request token and secret.

2. Go to that URL and log in to authorize the application. Afterwards, you are redirected back to the callback URL, which contains the code query string parameter.

3. Set the following parameters and call GetOAuthAccessToken:

   Name	Value
   AuthMode	WEB
   Verifier	Set this to the verifier code.

Connect to Data

Set the following to authenticate your requests for data:

• OAuthAccessToken: Set this to the OAuthAccessToken returned by the GetOAuthAccessToken stored procedure.

Refresh the Token

You can set InitiateOAuth to REFRESH to automatically refresh the OAuth access token when it expires.

To connect to data and automatically refresh the OAuthAccessToken, set the following on the first data connection:

• InitiateOAuth
• OAuthSettingsLocation
• OAuthClientId
• OAuthClientSecret
• OAuthAccessToken
• OAuthRefreshToken

On subsequent data connections, set the following:

• InitiateOAuth
• OAuthSettingsLocation

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 provider 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 provider 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 this to the Client Id in your app settings.
     • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to the Client Secret in your app settings.
     Then call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure with the CallbackURL input parameter set to the exact Redirect URI you specified in your app settings. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.
2. Log in and grant permissions to the provider. You are then redirected to the callback URL, which contains the verifier code. Save the value of the verifier code. 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: Set this to REFRESH.
• OAuthVerifier: Set this to the noted verifier code (the value of the code parameter in the redirect URI).
• OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the noted App key value from your OAuth app settings.
• OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the App secret from your OAuth app settings.
• AuthToken: Set to the authentication token returned by the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure.
• AuthKey: Set to the authentication key returned by the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure.
• 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: Set this to REFRESH.
• OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the noted App key value from your OAuth app settings.
• OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the App secret from your OAuth app settings.
• OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to the location containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. Make sure this location gives read and write permissions to the provider 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: Set this to REFRESH.
• OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the noted App key value from your OAuth app settings.
• OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the App secret from your OAuth app settings.
• 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 provider to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.