Custom web API data source for pivot table reports

If your business data comes from an online service (like web APIs, Graphql endpoints) or a very specialized database (possibly, no-SQL at all), SeekTable can still connect to it in the following ways:

• No-code approach: use DuckDB connector with http_client extension.^{on-prem SeekTable only}
  Interested in this capability for cloud SeekTable? Let us know!
  DuckDB is also good for real-time data federation, especially when the web API response needs to be combined with other data sources to generate consolidated reports.
• Implement your own web API that implements SeekTable's "Custom Web API" connector interface: allows you to create your own data sources or customize an access to your SQL database in a special way (implement very specific calculations, data transformations etc).

Web API Connector

You can develop your own custom connector in the form of web API endpoint that can handle data queries from SeekTable's reporting engine (PivotData Microservice); requirements are described below.

Custom connector web API provides an interface to query a tabular data model: incoming HTTP request contain a query (JSON) that determines a list of data columns to return. There are 2 kind of columns that may be requested:

• Field: refers to a real data column.
• Aggregate: refers to a column that is calculated via an aggregate function.

If query contains at least one "Aggregate" column all "Field"-type columns should be handled as a grouping criteria.

How to implement a custom connector

• PivotData Microservice web API connector specification.
• Custom connector implementation example (Microsoft .NET 6, implements an access to local SQLite DB file).

How to use a custom connector in SeekTable

Custom connectors may be used only in self-hosted SeekTable. To enable "Custom conector" data source option add this line to the docker-compose.seektable.env file:

SeekTable_ST__Connectors__CustomWebApi=true

After docker containers restart you should be able to configure your custom connector on the cube configuration form ("Connect to database"):