Reading and Writing data using the Databricks API

Aug 7, 2024 • 6 minute read

Hey there, fellow JavaScript devs! Ready to dive into the world of Databricks API? Let's get our hands dirty with some data syncing for user-facing integrations. Buckle up, because we're about to make your life a whole lot easier!

Introduction

Databricks API is your ticket to seamless data operations in the cloud. When it comes to user-facing integrations, syncing data efficiently is crucial. We'll explore how to leverage this powerful API to keep your users' data fresh and your app running smoothly.

Setting up the Databricks API client

First things first, let's get our environment ready. Fire up your terminal and run:

npm install databricks-api

Now, let's initialize our client:

const DatabricksAPI = require('databricks-api');

const client = new DatabricksAPI({
  token: 'your-access-token',
  host: 'your-databricks-instance.cloud.databricks.com'
});

Easy peasy, right? Make sure to keep that access token safe!

Reading data from Databricks

Time to fetch some data! Here's how you can query a table and get the results as JSON:

async function getUserData(userId) {
  const sql = `SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = '${userId}'`;
  const result = await client.sql.query(sql);
  return result.data[0];
}

Pro tip: Always sanitize your inputs to prevent SQL injection!

Writing data to Databricks

Updating user data is just as simple. Check this out:

async function updateUserPreferences(userId, preferences) {
  const sql = `
    MERGE INTO user_preferences
    USING (SELECT '${userId}' as id) as source
    ON user_preferences.id = source.id
    WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE SET preferences = '${JSON.stringify(preferences)}'
    WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN INSERT (id, preferences) VALUES ('${userId}', '${JSON.stringify(preferences)}')
  `;
  await client.sql.query(sql);
}

Implementing real-time data syncing

Want to keep things fresh? Let's set up a webhook to catch changes:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.post('/webhook', express.json(), (req, res) => {
  const { table, operation, data } = req.body;
  if (table === 'users' && operation === 'UPDATE') {
    syncUserData(data);
  }
  res.sendStatus(200);
});

function syncUserData(data) {
  // Your sync logic here
}

Error handling and retries

Nobody likes flaky connections. Let's add some retry logic:

async function robustApiRequest(fn, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error) {
      if (i === maxRetries - 1) throw error;
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000 * Math.pow(2, i)));
    }
  }
}

Optimizing performance

Batching requests can significantly boost performance. Here's a nifty function for bulk updates:

async function bulkUpdateUsers(users) {
  const values = users.map(u => `('${u.id}', '${JSON.stringify(u.data)}')`).join(',');
  const sql = `
    MERGE INTO users
    USING (VALUES ${values}) as source(id, data)
    ON users.id = source.id
    WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE SET data = source.data
    WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN INSERT (id, data) VALUES (source.id, source.data)
  `;
  await client.sql.query(sql);
}

Security considerations

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Always encrypt sensitive data, manage your API keys securely, and implement proper access controls. Your future self (and your users) will thank you!

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to read and write data like a pro using the Databricks API. Remember to keep your code clean, your queries optimized, and your error handling robust. Happy coding!

Additional resources

Now go forth and build some awesome integrations! 🚀