Explore data tables using the Flow Service API
This tutorial provides steps on how to explore and preview the structure and contents of your data tables using the Flow Service API.
Getting started
This guide requires a working understanding of the following components of Adobe Experience Platform:
- Sources: Experience Platform allows data to be ingested from various sources while providing you with the ability to structure, label, and enhance incoming data using Platform services.
- Sandboxes: Experience Platform provides virtual sandboxes which partition a single Platform instance into separate virtual environments to help develop and evolve digital experience applications.
Using Platform APIs
For information on how to successfully make calls to Platform APIs, see the guide on getting started with Platform APIs.
Explore your data tables
You can retrieve information on the structure of your data tables by making a GET request to the Flow Service API while providing the base connection ID of your source.
API format
GET /connections/{BASE_CONNECTION_ID}/explore?objectType=root
{BASE_CONNECTION_ID}Request
curl -X GET \
'https://platform.adobe.io/data/foundation/flowservice/connections/5e73e5a2-dc36-45a8-9f16-93c7a43af318/explore?objectType=root' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}' \
-H 'x-api-key: {API_KEY}' \
-H 'x-gw-ims-org-id: {IMS_ORG}' \
-H 'x-sandbox-name: {SANDBOX_NAME}'
Response
A successful response returns an array of tables from your source. Find the table you wish to bring into Platform and take note of its path property, as you are required to provide it in the next step to inspect its structure.
[
{
"type": "table",
"name": "ACME Spring Campaign",
"path": "acmeSpringCampaign",
"canPreview": true,
"canFetchSchema": true
},
{
"type": "table",
"name": "ACME Summer Campaign",
"path": "acmeSummerCampaign",
"canPreview": true,
"canFetchSchema": true
}
]
Inspect the structure of a table
To inspect the contents of your data tables, perform a GET request to the Flow Service API while specifying the path of a table as a query parameter.
API format
GET /connections/{BASE_CONNECTION_ID}/explore?objectType=table&object={TABLE_PATH}
{BASE_CONNECTION_ID}{TABLE_PATH}Request
curl -X GET \
'https://platform.adobe.io/data/foundation/flowservice/connections/5e73e5a2-dc36-45a8-9f16-93c7a43af318/explore?objectType=table&object=acmeSpringCampaign' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}' \
-H 'x-api-key: {API_KEY}' \
-H 'x-gw-ims-org-id: {IMS_ORG}' \
-H 'x-sandbox-name: {SANDBOX_NAME}'
Response
A successful response returns information on the contents and structure of the specified table. Details regarding each of the table’s columns are located within elements of the columns array.
{
"format": "flat",
"schema": {
"columns": [
{
"name": "TestID",
"type": "string",
"xdm": {
"type": "string"
}
},
{
"name": "Name",
"type": "string",
"xdm": {
"type": "string"
}
},
{
"name": "Datefield",
"type": "string",
"meta:xdmType": "date-time",
"xdm": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time"
}
},
{
"name": "complaint_type",
"type": "string",
"xdm": {
"type": "string"
}
},
{
"name": "complaint_description",
"type": "string",
"xdm": {
"type": "string"
}
},
{
"name": "status",
"type": "string",
"xdm": {
"type": "string"
}
},
{
"name": "status_change_date",
"type": "string",
"meta:xdmType": "date-time",
"xdm": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time"
}
},
{
"name": "city",
"type": "string",
"xdm": {
"type": "string"
}
},
{
"name": "Datefield2",
"type": "string",
"meta:xdmType": "date-time",
"xdm": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time"
}
}
]
}
}
Next steps
By following this tutorial, you have gathered information on the structure and contents of your data tables. Furthermore, you have retrieved the path to the table that you wish to ingest into Platform. You can use this information to create a source connection and a dataflow to bring your data to Platform. See the following tutorials for specific steps on how to create a source connection and a dataflow using the Flow Service API: