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Configuring Twitter

Vinyl does not natively support Twitter, either as an authentication or data provider. However, since the Twitter API is fundamentally a REST API, secured using the OAuth Client Credential flow, it's possible use Vinyl's generic HTTP security provider to retrieve data from Twitter.

Twitter's documentation for application-level authentication using the OAuth Client Credentials flow can be found here:

https://dev.twitter.com/oauth/application-only

The main tasks involved include:

  1. Register Vinyl as a Twitter application.
  2. Create a Twitter HTTP security provider
  3. Create a Twitter data source.

It's assumed that your organization already has an existing Twitter account.

Register Vinyl as a Twitter Application

Start by signing into the Twitter Application Management web site.

https://apps.twitter.com/

  1. Click the Create New App button (upper right)

  2. Provide the following information:

    • Name: A logical name for the Vinyl environment or application.

      Example: ACMEVinylDev

    • Description: A description of the Vinyl environment or application.

      Example: Vinyl application development at ACME.

    • Website: Vinyl web application URL.

      Example: https://dev.example.com/Vinyl/

  3. Agree to the developer agreement

  4. Click the Create your Twitter application button

  5. Under Application Settings, make a note the following properties:

    • App-only authentication: This will be the value of the TokenEndpoint when configuring the HTTP security provider within Vinyl.

      Example: https://api.twitter.com/oauth2/token

  6. Under Application Settings, click the manage keys and access tokens link

  7. Make a note the following properties:

    • Consumer Key (API Key): This will be the value of the ClientId when configuring the HTTP security provider within Vinyl.
    • Consumer Secret (API Secret): This will be the value of the ClientSecret when configuring the HTTP security provider within Vinyl.

Create a Twitter HTTP Security Provider

To create an HTTP security provider, start by signing into Vinyl as an administrator.

  1. Navigate to the IDE
  2. Select the Security Providers button
  3. In the User Authentication panel, click the + User Authentication button

  4. Provide the following:

    • Name: Twitter
    • Type: HTTP

    • Priority: A unique integer between 10 and 100. Note that this value must be unique.

      Example: 50

    • Enabled: Check

  5. Click the Save button

  6. Set the following properties. In the Properties panel, click the + Property button → Select the Parameter → Provide the Value → Click the Save icon.

    • AuthenticationType: ClientCredentials

    • TokenEndpoint: The {App-only Authentication} endpoint provider by Twitter.

      Example: https://api.twitter.com/oauth2/token

    • ClientId: The {Consumer Key} provided by Twitter

    • ClientSecret: The {Consumer Secret} provided by Twitter

Create a Twitter Data Source

To create a Twitter data source, start by signing into Vinyl as an administrator.

  1. Navigate to the IDE
  2. Select the Data Servers button
  3. In the Data Servers panel, click the + Server button

  4. Provide the following:

    • Name: Twitter
    • Type: REST API
    • URL: https://api.twitter.com/1.1/
    • Security Provider: Twitter

  5. Click the Save button

  6. Click the Tables icon to add in the Endpoints information
  7. In the Endpoints panel, click the + Endpoint button

  8. Provide the following:

    • Name: user_timeline
    • Endpoint: statuses/user_timeline.json

  9. Click the Save button

  10. Click the Close icon (X) to dismiss the Endpoint popup
  11. In the Endpoint Parameters panel, click the + Parameter button

  12. Provide the following:

    • Name: screen_name
    • Data type: String
    • Test value: twitterapi

  13. Click Save

  14. Click the Close icon (X) to dismiss the Input Parameter popup
  15. In the Web Service Parameters panel, click the + Parameter button

  16. Provide the following:

    • Name: count
    • Data type: Integer
    • Usage: Request Limit

  17. Click the Close icon (X) to dismiss the Web Service Parameter popup

  18. In the Endpoints panel, click the Discover button

    This discover process will populate the Output Tables panel.

  19. In the Output Tables panel, locate the user_timeline table and click the Content icon.

Assuming everything has been configured correctly, you should see a timeline for the twitterapi account.