Quick BI:Create an API Data Source

Step 1: Establish API Connection

Configure the basic authentication information, connection method, and parameter settings for the API connection.

1. Configure the information for each item under Basic Authentication.

   Parameter name	Description
   Connection Name	A custom name for the API interface, displayed in the Quick BI data source list. The name can consist of Chinese characters, numbers, letters, underscores (_), or hyphens (-).
   Interface Address	The request URL of the API interface.
   Request Type	The request type of the API interface. Two types are supported: GET and POST. The default is GET. GET: Retrieves resources from the server. Cannot modify server data. POST: Sends data to the server, such as form submissions. Can modify server data.

2. Select the Connection method. You can choose either Extract or Direct connection.

   • Extract: Supports manual or scheduled data updates. Suitable for scenarios with low real-time requirements.

   • Direct connection: Connects directly to the API for real-time data updates. Suitable for small data volumes with high real-time requirements.

     Direct connection supports Short-term cache, with cache durations of 5, 10, or 30 minutes. Caching avoids repeated requests within a given period, protecting the source API service and reducing call costs.

     Note

     In direct connection mode, the data volume returned by each request must meet the following conditions: no more than 10 MB, no more than 100 columns, and no more than 1,000 rows.

     

3. (Optional) Configure the parameters to pass in Parameter settings.

   Parameter name	Description
   Common Parameters	Parameters after the request address are common parameters, in the format url?key1=value1&key2=value2. You can click Add Parameter to pass parameters through common parameters. For example, for API interfaces with large data volumes, you can request through pagination by providing a dynamic parameter ${PageIndex} .For detailed information about parameters, see Parameter Introduction.
   Header Parameters	Parameters in the HTTP request header. Typically used for constant values. You can manually add (①), delete (②), and modify (③) header parameters. For detailed information about parameters, see Parameter Introduction.
   Request Body	Available when the Request type in Basic Authentication is POST. The request body carries the data to send to the server. Write its content and format according to the API field requirements. Quick BI supports two request body formats: JSON and x-www-form-urlencoded. JSON: Handles complex data structures with nested objects or arrays. x-www-form-urlencoded: Handles simple key-value pair data for form submissions.
   Authorization Verification	Select no authorization, Basic Authentication, or Digest Authentication. For specific information, see HTTP authentication 01 basic authentication and digest authentication.
   Pre-request	If the API requires preparation steps before a request, such as obtaining a token through an authentication interface, you can configure a pre-request. The system executes pre-requests in sequence before calling the main API. Response results can be stored as dynamic parameters and referenced in the main API's header parameters, common parameters, request body, or other pre-requests. For examples of using pre-requests, see Operation Example. Note A maximum of 3 pre-requests are supported.

4. Click Test connection, and after success, proceed to the Next step.

Step 2: Parse Request Results

The Data structure area under Parse request results displays all fields returned by the API request. Select the fields you need and modify their field types as required.

Step 3: Data Synchronization Settings

Set the update cycle for the API data source in Data synchronization settings.

1. Click the Update cycle dropdown and select an update cycle. You can choose manual update or scheduled update.

   Note

   The update cycle only applies when the connection method is set to extract.

   

   • Manual update: Data synchronization occurs only when manually triggered.

   • Scheduled update: Configure the update frequency (daily or hourly) to synchronize data at scheduled intervals.

2. Click Finish to create the API data source. The new data source appears in the API data source management interface.

   Click the icon next to an API data source to edit it.

   Note

   The connection method cannot be edited.

   

Step 1: Establish API Connection

Configure the API connection information as follows.

1. Configure Basic Authentication information.

   • Connection name: In this example, we use the business meaning of the API interface as the name, entering Get User Attendance Data.

   • Interface address: Obtain the request address from the API documentation page.

   • Request type: Obtain the request type from the API documentation page. In this example, it is POST.

2. Configure the Connection method.

   In this example, we only need to obtain attendance data for the current day, with low real-time requirements, so the connection method is set to Extract.

   

3. Configure Pre-request.

   Before calling the Get User Attendance Data interface (the main API), you need to obtain an access_token through the Get enterprise internal application access_token interface and inject it into the request address of the main API. Configure the pre-request to obtain the access_token and append it as a common parameter to the main API request address.

   1. Click Add pre-request under the Pre-request tab.

   2. In the Add pre-request dialog box, complete the following configuration.

      • Connection name: In this example, we enter the business meaning of the authentication interface, which is Get enterprise internal application access_token.

      • Interface address: Obtain the request address of the authentication interface through the interface documentation.

      • Request type: Obtain the request type of the authentication interface through the interface documentation. In this example, it is GET.

      • Common parameters: According to the interface documentation, the request address needs to carry appkey and appsecret parameters, so add appkey and appsecret in the common parameters and enter the corresponding values. After completion, the parameters will be automatically appended to the request address.

      • Header parameters: In this example, we keep the default settings, i.e., select Content-Type as application/json to tell the server receiving the request that the data transmission format is JSON; Connection as keep-alive to tell the server receiving the request that the current request requires a persistent connection.

   3. Click Test connection to view the return information in the Request result module. Quick BI automatically parses the fields in the request result. In the Dynamic parameters module, select fields to use as dynamic parameters and reference them in the main API using ${parameter name}.

      In this example, pass the access_token from the pre-request as a dynamic parameter to the main API by creating the access_token dynamic parameter.

      Note

      A maximum of 10 dynamic parameters can be added.

      

4. Configure Common parameters.

   In this example, reference the access_token dynamic parameter from the pre-request in the main API's common parameters using ${parameter name}. Click Add parameter under the Common parameters tab.

   Note

   Dynamic parameters can be referenced to the common parameters, header parameters, request body of the main API, or other pre-requests. You can choose as needed in actual operations.

   

5. Enter the parameter name, click the icon in the parameter value input box, select a parameter from the variable panel, and click the icon to save.

   In this example, switch to the Dynamic parameters tab, which lists the dynamic parameters created in the current flow, and select ${access_token}.

6. Configure the Request body.

   In this example, the request type is POST, so write the request body according to the Get enterprise internal application access_token API's request parameters.

   • JSON format example code is as follows:

     {
         "work_date": "2024-11-14",
         "userid": "user01"
     }

   • x-www-form-urlencoded format example code is as follows:

     work_date=2024-11-14&userid=user01

7. Other parameter configurations.

   In this example, header parameters and authorization verification maintain the default settings.

8. Click Test connection, and after success, proceed to the Next step.

Step 2: Parse Request Results

In Parse request results, select the required fields, adjust their field types, and click Next step.

Step 3: Data Synchronization Settings

1. In the data synchronization settings section, set the update cycle of this example's API data source to Manual update.

   

2. Click Finish to successfully create the Get User Attendance Data API data source.