Learn more
 

Use JayDeBeApi to access Blackbaud FE NXT Data in Python


Use standard Python scripting and the development environment of your choice to access live Blackbaud FE NXT data.

Access Blackbaud FE NXT data with Python scripts and standard SQL on any machine where Python and Java can be installed. You can use the CData JDBC Driver for Blackbaud FE NXT and the JayDeBeApi module to work with remote Blackbaud FE NXT data in Python. By using the CData Driver, you are leveraging a driver written for industry-proven standards to access your data in the popular Python language. This article shows how to use the driver to execute SQL queries to Blackbaud FE NXT and visualize Blackbaud FE NXT data with standard Python.

Use the JayDeBeApi module

JayDeBeApi is a Python library that serves as a JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) bridge, allowing Python programs to interact with Java databases, including CData JDBC Drivers. Use the pip install command to install the module:

pip install JayDeBeApi

Create the JDBC URL

Once you have JayDeBeApi installed, you are ready to work with Blackbaud FE NXT data in Python using SQL.

Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate using OAuth, you will need to create an app to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties.

See the Getting Started guide in the CData driver documentation for more information.

Built-in Connection String Designer

For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Blackbaud FE NXT JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

java -jar cdata.jdbc.financialedgenxt.jar

Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

Below is a sample variable assignment, including a typical JDBC connection string:

jdbc_url = "jdbc:financialedgenxt:SubscriptionKey=MySubscriptionKey;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH"

Access Blackbaud FE NXT data in Python

With the JDBC URL configured, you only need the absolute path to the JDBC driver JAR file, which is in the "lib" folder in the installation directory ("C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.financialedgenxt.jar" on Windows).

NOTE: If you haven't already, set the JAVA_HOME environment variable to the Java installation directory.

Use code similar to the follow to read and print data from Blackbaud FE NXT:

import jaydebeapi #The JDBC connection string jdbc_url = "jdbc:financialedgenxt:SubscriptionKey=MySubscriptionKey;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH" username = "****" password = "****" #The absolute Path to the JDBC driver JAR file, typically: jdbc_driver_jar = "C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.financialedgenxt.jar" conn = jaydebeapi.connect( "cdata.jdbc.financialedgenxt.FinancialEdgeNXTDriver", jdbc_url, [username, password], jdbc_driver_jar, ) cursor = conn.cursor() cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM Accounts;") results = cursor.fetchall() for row in results: print(row) cursor.close() conn.close()

Free trial & more information

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Blackbaud FE NXT and start working with your live Blackbaud FE NXT data in Python. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.

Ready to get started?

Download a free trial of the Blackbaud FE NXT Driver to get started:

 Download Now

Learn more:

Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT Icon Blackbaud FE NXT JDBC Driver

Rapidly create and deploy powerful Java applications that integrate with Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT account data including Accounts, Budgets, Projects, and more!

In this article

Related articles