Reading and Writing Data Using the Looker API

Aug 9, 2024 • 6 minute read

Hey there, fellow JavaScript devs! Ready to dive into the world of Looker API integration? Let's get our hands dirty with some data syncing for user-facing integrations. Buckle up, because we're about to make your Looker experience smoother than a freshly waxed surfboard.

Setting Up the Looker API Client

First things first, let's get our environment prepped. You'll need to install the Looker SDK:

npm install @looker/sdk

Now, let's initialize that bad boy:

import { LookerNodeSDK } from '@looker/sdk'

const sdk = LookerNodeSDK.init31({
  baseUrl: 'https://your-looker-instance.com:19999',
  clientId: 'your-client-id',
  clientSecret: 'your-client-secret'
})

Pro tip: Keep those credentials safe! Use environment variables or a secure secret management system.

Reading Data from Looker

Time to fetch some data! Let's grab a dashboard for a specific user:

async function getDashboardData(dashboardId, userId) {
  try {
    const dashboard = await sdk.ok(sdk.dashboard(dashboardId, userId))
    return dashboard
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Oops! Dashboard fetch failed:', error)
    throw error
  }
}

Easy peasy, right? Don't forget to handle those pesky paginated results when dealing with larger datasets.

Writing Data to Looker

Now, let's flex those muscles and update a Look:

async function updateLook(lookId, newTitle) {
  try {
    const updatedLook = await sdk.ok(sdk.update_look(lookId, { title: newTitle }))
    console.log('Look updated successfully:', updatedLook)
    return updatedLook
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Look update failed:', error)
    throw error
  }
}

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Always validate user input and check those permissions!

Implementing Real-time Data Sync

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

import express from 'express'

const app = express()

app.post('/webhook', express.json(), (req, res) => {
  const { event, data } = req.body
  console.log(`Received ${event} event:`, data)
  // Handle the event (update cache, trigger sync, etc.)
  res.sendStatus(200)
})

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Webhook listener ready on port 3000'))

Now you're cooking with gas! Don't forget to implement a robust sync queue to handle those pesky network hiccups.

Optimizing API Usage

Let's keep things zippy with some caching:

import NodeCache from 'node-cache'

const cache = new NodeCache({ stdTTL: 600 }) // 10 minutes default TTL

async function getCachedDashboard(dashboardId, userId) {
  const cacheKey = `dashboard_${dashboardId}_${userId}`
  let dashboard = cache.get(cacheKey)
  
  if (!dashboard) {
    dashboard = await getDashboardData(dashboardId, userId)
    cache.set(cacheKey, dashboard)
  }
  
  return dashboard
}

Your users will thank you for those lightning-fast response times!

Security Considerations

Always sanitize user input and implement proper access control. Here's a quick example:

function sanitizeInput(input) {
  // Implement your sanitization logic here
  return input.replace(/[<>&'"]/g, '')
}

async function updateLookSecurely(lookId, newTitle, userId) {
  const userPermissions = await getUserPermissions(userId)
  if (!userPermissions.canEditLooks) {
    throw new Error('User does not have permission to edit looks')
  }
  
  const sanitizedTitle = sanitizeInput(newTitle)
  return updateLook(lookId, sanitizedTitle)
}

Better safe than sorry, folks!

Testing and Debugging

Don't forget to test your API interactions. Here's a quick Jest example:

jest.mock('@looker/sdk')

test('getDashboardData fetches dashboard correctly', async () => {
  const mockDashboard = { id: '1', title: 'Test Dashboard' }
  LookerNodeSDK.init31.mockReturnValue({
    ok: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(mockDashboard),
    dashboard: jest.fn()
  })
  
  const result = await getDashboardData('1', 'user123')
  expect(result).toEqual(mockDashboard)
})

Wrapping Up

And there you have it! You're now armed with the knowledge to build some seriously cool Looker API integrations. Remember to keep an eye on those API limits, cache smartly, and always prioritize security.

Happy coding, and may your data always be in sync!

Additional Resources

Now go forth and build something awesome! 🚀