Accessing SQL tables

Tutorial

Setting up role-based access to SQL tables.

Background

Roles govern HTTP access to the REST API endpoints in DreamFactory. When you [set up a SQL database](https://wiki.dreamfactory.com/DreamFactory/Tutorials/Connecting_to_SQL) in the 'Services' tab, no tables are accessible by default (unless you are a DreamFactory Admin).

You can give access to specific SQL tables by following the examples below.

Example - Enable HTTP access to SQL tables for a role

1. Log into the DreamFactory admin console as an Admin.

2. Click on 'Roles' > 'Create'.

3. In the 'Access' tab, select your SQL database API for 'Service', the table name for 'Component', HTTP verbs for 'Access', and API for 'Requestor'. Repeat for each table you are exposing to this role.

Note: You can also allow script-only access to tables. This allows you to grant access to a table by server-side scripts invoked by the API call, while not exposing direct access to the table by the API.

Example - Creating and updating role permissions with the REST API

You can create and update role permissions directly with the API. Click on 'API Docs' in the DreamFactory Admin Console and view the '/system/role' API calls.

For example, the POST below to the /system/role API will create a role called 'ios-address-book' with full HTTP API access to the contact table and the contact_group_relationship table.

{
    "resource": [
        {
            "name": "ios-address-book",
            "description": "Role for users accessing the iOS address book app",
            "is_active": true,
            "role_service_access_by_role_id": [
                {
                    "service_id": 6,
                    "component": "_table/contact",
                    "verb_mask": 31,
                    "requestor_mask": 1
                },
                {
                    "service_id": 6,
                    "component": "_table/contact_group_relationship",
                    "verb_mask": 31,
                    "requestor_mask": 1
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}