Integration Guides
This page contains various Integration Guides
Last updated
This page contains various Integration Guides
Last updated
There are various methods you can use to establish a connection between Cinchy and Microsoft Excel, such as using Basic Auth, Personal Access Tokens, or Bearer Tokens.
Review each section below for further details.
Excel connects to queries within Cinchy, therefore prior to using any of the connection methods below you will need to create one that represents your dataset. Once created, you will need to copy down the REST API URL endpoint, located as a green button on the right-hand side of the Execute Query screen.
The structure of the URL endpoint is <your Cinchy instance URL>/API/<the name of your query>. You might optionally have querystring parameters at the end as well.
For example: http://your.cinchy.instance.domain/API/YourQueryDomain/API Test
Note that for Basic Authentication with a result format of CSV we will use a slightly different URL endpoint. For Basic Auth: /API/ becomes /BasicAuthAPI/ For CSV results you will add the querystring parameter of ResultFormat=CSV
Our example URL for an basic auth using CSV results would then become: http://your.cinchy.instance.domain/BasicAuthAPI/YourQueryDomain/API Test?ResultFormat=CSV
Launch Excel and navigate to Data > Get Data > From Other Sources > Blank Query (Image 1).
In the expression box that appears, enter the below text to add in your query as your data source (Image 2):
=Csv.Document(Web.Contents("API ENDPOINT URL"))
Example:
=Csv.Document(Web.Contents("http://your.cinchy.instance.domain/BasicAuthAPI/YourQueryDomain/API Test?ResultFormat=CSV"))
Once you've entered that text either click the check mark to the left of the input box or click away and it will automatically attempt to run the expression.
The data may return in HTML format initially and not be what you're expecting. To correct this:
Click the Data Source Settings.
Select Basic and enter the credentials for a Cinchy User Account that has access to run this query.
Click OK.
Within the Edit Permissions dialogue, click OK.
Within the Data Source Settings dialogue, click Close.
Click Refresh Preview.
Click Close & Load and your dataset will be displayed in the Excel worksheet.
If needed, follow the documentation here to generate a new Personal Access Token (PAT).
Launch Excel and navigate to Data > From Web.
Click Advanced and input the following values (Image 3):
URL Parts: This is the Query API URL that you created in the Prerequisites section.
HTTP Request Header Parameters:
In the first text box input Authorization
In the second text box type Bearer + your PAT. For example: "Bearer BGFHFHOJDF76DFDFD777"
Click OK.
Click Load to use the query data in Excel (Image 4).
If needed, follow the documentation here to generate a Bearer Token.
Launch Excel and navigate to Data > From Web.
Click Advanced and input the following values (Image 5):
URL Parts: This is the Query API URL that you created in the Prerequisites section.
HTTP Request Header Parameters:
In the first text box input Authorization
In the second text box type Bearer + your token. For example: "Bearer eyUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IkE4M0UwQTFEQTY1MzE0NkZENUQxOTFDMzRDNTQ0RDJDODYyMzMzMzkiLCJ0eXAiO"
Click OK.
Click Load to use the query data in Excel (Image 6).
There are various methods you can use to establish a connection between Cinchy and Power BI, such as using Basic Auth, Personal Access Tokens, or Bearer Tokens.
Review each section below for further details.
Power BI connects to queries within Cinchy, therefore prior to using any of the connection methods below you will need to create one that represents your dataset. Once created, you will need to copy down the REST API URL endpoint, located as a green button on the right-hand side of the Execute Query screen.
The structure of the URL endpoint is <your Cinchy instance URL>/API/<the name of your query>. You might optionally have querystring parameters at the end as well.
For example: http://your.cinchy.instance.domain/API/YourQueryDomain/API Test
Note that for Basic Authentication with a result format of CSV we will use a slightly different URL endpoint. For Basic Auth: /API/ becomes /BasicAuthAPI/ For CSV results you will add the querystring parameter of ResultFormat=CSV
Our example URL for an basic auth using CSV results would then become: http://your.cinchy.instance.domain/BasicAuthAPI/YourQueryDomain/API Test?ResultFormat=CSV
Launch Power BI and navigate Get Data > Web (Image 7)
6. In the window that launches, you will enter the below text, using your own URL endpoint where highlighted (Image 8):
=Csv.Document(Web.Contents("http://your.cinchy.instance.domain/BasicAuthAPI/YourQueryDomain/API Test?ResultFormat=CSV"))
7. Click on the checkmark icon and Power BI will automatically attempt to run the expression (Image 9).
8. Click Edit Credentials > Basic (Image 10). Enter the credentials for a Cinchy User Account that has access to run this query and select the level at which to apply these settings. By default it's the root URL.
This process of entering your credentials won't occur with each query, it's just the first time and then they're saved locally.
10. Click Connect to see your data (Image 11).
11. You can now apply any transformations to the dataset.
In this example we also changed the name from Query1 to Product Roadmap and have edited to use the first row as a header (Image 12).
12. Click Close & Apply. The metadata now shows up on the right hand side and you can begin to use it to create your visualizations (Image 13).
If needed, follow the documentation here to generate a new Personal Access Token (PAT).
Launch Power BI and navigate to Get Data > Web.
Click Advanced and input the following values (Image 14):
URL Parts: This is the Query API URL that you created in the Prerequisites section.
HTTP Request Header Parameters:
In the first text box input Authorization
In the second text box type Bearer + your PAT. For example: "Bearer BGFHFHOJDF76DFDFD777"
Click OK.
Click Load to use the query data in Power BI.
You can now apply any transformations to the dataset.
In this example we also changed the name from Query1 to Product Roadmap and have edited to use the first row as a header (Image 15).
Click Close & Apply. The metadata now shows up on the right hand side and you can begin to use it to create your visualizations (Image 16).
If needed, follow the documentation here to generate a Bearer Token.
Launch Power BI and navigate to Get Data > Web.
Click Advanced and input the following values (Image 17):
URL Parts: This is the Query API URL that you created in the Prerequisites section.
HTTP Request Header Parameters:
In the first text box input Authorization
In the second text box type Bearer + your token. For example: "Bearer eyUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IkE4M0UwQTFEQTY1MzE0NkZENUQxOTFDMzRDNTQ0RDJDODYyMzMzMzkiLCJ0eXAiO"
Click OK.
Click Load to use the query data in Power BI.
Cinchy exposes a Tableau Web Data Connector that provides access to Cinchy Saved Queries as data sources in Tableau. Tableau versions 2019.2+ are supported.
An active internet connection is required in order to use the Web Data Connector.
To get started, you must add a record into the Integrated Clients table in the Cinchy domain with the below values.
Column
Value
Client Id
tableau-connector
Client Name
Tableau
Grant Type
Implicit
Permitted Login Redirect URLs
Permitted Logout Redirect URLs
Permitted Scopes
Id, OpenId, Email, Profile, Roles
Access Token Lifetime (seconds)
3600
Show Cinchy Login Screen
Checked
Enabled
Checked
Launch Tableau
Under Connect -> To a Server select the Web Data Connector option
Enter the URL from the Permitted Login Redirect URLs field on the Integrated Clients record created under the Prerequisites section above
The Cinchy login screen will appear, enter your credentials
Select one or more queries to add to your data set. The result of each query will be available as a Table in Tableau. If a query has parameters, you will be prompted to provide the parameter values before you can add it to your collection.
Click the Load button
The Cinchy query results will now be accessible for you to create your visualization.
