Retrieve data into Quixy from 3rd party database (External App References)

The External App References feature allows you to fetch data from third-party databases that have Open/Rest APIs into your Quixy application. These APIs can be of two types:

1. Open Source APIs: These APIs can be used without any restrictions or authentication. They are universal and can be accessed by anyone to retrieve data from the third-party database.
2. Secured APIs: These APIs are also universal but are secured with authentication methods such as passwords, secret keys, or tokens. Accessing data through these APIs requires authentication.

How to configure External App Reference (Without Authentication)?

1. Navigate to the Admin Menu -> Database -> Lookups in your Quixy dashboard.
2. Click on the External App References tab and then click the Add button.
3. Provide a name for the External App Reference and select the reference type (Single or Cascade).
   • Single: Allows you to select input fields in any order to obtain output values.
   • Cascade: Requires you to select input fields in a specific sequence, with each subsequent field filtered based on the preceding field's value.
     EXAMPLE

     Let's take an example to better understand the Cascade reference type selection. Suppose you have three input fields in a sequence: Continent, Country, and State. Each of these fields contains a list of all the continents, countries, and states in the world, respectively.
     
     

     When you select a value in the Continent input field, let's say Asia, the Country input field will load and display all the countries in the Asia continent, such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and so on.
     
     

     After selecting a value in the Country input field, let's say India, the State input field will load and display all the states present in India. This means the options available in the State field will be filtered based on the selection made in the Country field.

4. Choose the Method Type (GET or POST) for transferring data between the client and server.
   NOTE

   Both GET and POST method is used to transfer data from client to server in HTTP protocol but the main difference between POST and GET method is that GET carries request parameter appended in URL string while POST carries request parameter in message body.
5. Since you are using an Open Source API that does not require authentication, select None as the Authentication Type.
6. Enter the API URL provided by the third-party system in the App Reference URL box.
7. Click the Test URL button to ensure the API works.
8. If the API test is successful, you can select the input values required for the reference.
9. You can add multiple input fields, and their selection will be interrelated.
10. After selecting the input values, you can check the output values that will be retrieved based on your selections.
11. Click the Get Output button to view the list of output values.
12. Finally, click the Submit button to save the configured External App Reference.

How to configure External App Reference (With Authentication)?

Many individuals worldwide secure their database APIs using various authentication methods such as passwords, secret keys, or tokens.

To access these secured APIs in Quixy, we offer different authentication options. You simply need to obtain the security details from the third-party system and input them into Quixy.

1. Navigate to the Admin Menu -> Database -> Lookups.
2. Click on the External App References tab in the Lookups list page.
3. Click the Add button on the External App References list page.
4. Provide a Name for the External App Reference to identify it.
5. Select the Reference Type & Method Type based on your requirements. Reference Type can be Single or Cascade, and Method Type can be GET or POST.
6. According to the API's security requirements select the Authentication type.
7. Provide the necessary authentication details based on the authentication type selected. This could be a username and password, an API key, a bearer token, or a custom header.
8. Enter the API URL from the third-party system in the App Reference URL.
9. Click the Test API button to ensure that the API works with the provided authentication details.
10. If the API test is successful, you can proceed to select input values and configure the reference as needed.
11. Check the output values based on the input selections to verify that the reference is configured correctly.
12. Click the Submit button to save the configured External App Reference with authentication.

What is Authentication?

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system, ensuring that they are who they claim to be before granting access to resources or services. Quixy offers a variety of authentication types. Choose the one that suits your needs best.

2. OAuth 2 Basic Authentication

This is used when the API is secured with a combination of an Access Token, User Name & Password.

3. OAuth 2 Client ID Secret

This is used when the API is secured with a Secret Key.

4. Basic Authentication

This is used when the API is secured with a simple User Name & Password.

5. Token Authentication

This is used when the API is secured with a Access Token.