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Access sharepoint folders in R

3 min read 06-10-2024
Access sharepoint folders in R


Accessing SharePoint Folders in R: A Comprehensive Guide

Sharing and managing data efficiently is crucial for any organization. Microsoft SharePoint, a popular platform for collaboration and document storage, often holds critical datasets. Accessing these data files directly from R, a powerful statistical programming language, allows for seamless integration of data analysis and reporting.

The Problem:

While accessing SharePoint data might seem daunting, it's surprisingly straightforward with the right tools and understanding. This article will guide you through the process, empowering you to unlock valuable insights from your SharePoint data directly in R.

Scenario:

Imagine a scenario where you have a SharePoint folder containing sales data in CSV format. You need to analyze this data using R to generate reports and understand sales trends. Here's how you can achieve this:

Original Code (Using the httr package):

library(httr)
library(dplyr)

# Authentication details
username <- "your_username"
password <- "your_password"

# SharePoint site URL
site_url <- "https://your_sharepoint_site.sharepoint.com/sites/your_site"

# Folder path within SharePoint
folder_path <- "/Shared Documents/Sales Data"

# Get authentication token
auth_token <- GET(paste0(site_url, "/_api/contextinfo"),
                   authenticate(username, password, type = "basic"))

# Get list of files in the folder
files_list <- GET(paste0(site_url, "/_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('", folder_path, "')/Files"),
                   add_headers(Authorization = paste0("Bearer", auth_token$headers

   


      Access sharepoint folders in R
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
   
   
      

         

            

            

            

               

                  

                     

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Access sharepoint folders in R

                                                

                                                   

                                                      

                                                         

                                                            
                                                            

                                                               

                                                                  
                                                               

                                                               

                                                                  
                                                                     

                                                                        
                                                                           

                                                                              3 min read
                                                                              
                                                                              06-10-2024
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                                                           

                                                                        
                                                                     

                                                                  
                                                               

                                                            

                                                         

                                                         
                                                      

                                                   

                                                

                                             

                                             

                                                

                                                   

                                                      
                                                         Access sharepoint folders in R
                                                      
                                                   

                                                

                                             

                                             
 






 
                                             
www-authenticate`[[1]])))

# Extract file names
file_names <- content(files_list)$d$results %>% 
  purrr::map_chr("Name")

# Download and read each CSV file
df_list <- lapply(file_names, function(file_name) {
  file_url <- paste0(site_url, "/_api/web/GetFileByServerRelativeUrl('", folder_path, "/", file_name, "')/OpenBinaryStream")
  file_content <- GET(file_url,
                     add_headers(Authorization = paste0("Bearer", auth_token$headers

   


      Access sharepoint folders in R
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
   
   
      

         

            

            

            

               

                  

                     

                        ONLINECAST
                        

                           

                              

                              

                                 
                                    
                                 
                              

                              

                              	
                              

                           

                        

                     

                     

                        

                           
                              
                                 

                                    
Home

                                 

                              
                           
                        

                     

                     

                        

                           
                              

                                 
                                    
                                 
                              

                           
                        

                     

                     

                        
                     

                  

               

               

                  

                     

                        

                     

                     

                        

                           

                              
                              

                                 

                                    

                                    

                                       

                                          

                                             

                                                
Access sharepoint folders in R

                                                

                                                   

                                                      

                                                         

                                                            
                                                            

                                                               

                                                                  
                                                               

                                                               

                                                                  
                                                                     

                                                                        
                                                                           

                                                                              3 min read
                                                                              
                                                                              06-10-2024
                                                                              
                                                                              
                                                                           

                                                                        
                                                                     

                                                                  
                                                               

                                                            

                                                         

                                                         
                                                      

                                                   

                                                

                                             

                                             

                                                

                                                   

                                                      
                                                         Access sharepoint folders in R
                                                      
                                                   

                                                

                                             

                                             
 






 
                                             
www-authenticate`[[1]])))$content
  read.csv(text = rawToChar(file_content))
})

# Combine dataframes
sales_data <- bind_rows(df_list)

# Analyze sales data
summary(sales_data)

Explanation:

This code utilizes the httr and dplyr packages in R. It first authenticates to the SharePoint site using your credentials and retrieves an authentication token. Then, it fetches the list of files within the specified folder. Finally, it downloads and reads each CSV file, combining them into a single dataframe for analysis.

Key Insights:

  • Authentication: SharePoint requires authentication before accessing its content. The code uses basic authentication, but other methods exist, such as OAuth 2.0.
  • REST API: SharePoint provides a REST API for interacting with its data programmatically. The code makes use of this API to retrieve file information and download files.
  • Flexibility: This approach allows you to access and process files from any SharePoint folder, not just those containing CSV data.

Beyond the Basics:

  • Other File Types: You can adapt this code to handle various file formats like Excel, XML, or JSON by replacing the read.csv function with appropriate R functions like readxl::read_excel.
  • Filtering and Sorting: You can refine the files retrieved by adding parameters to the GET requests, allowing you to filter by file names or dates.
  • Data Wrangling: Leverage the power of R packages like tidyverse to clean, transform, and manipulate your SharePoint data for in-depth analysis.

Additional Value:

  • Automated Data Acquisition: This process can be automated, allowing you to regularly update your R analysis with the latest data from SharePoint.
  • Enhanced Data Visualization: Combine your data analysis with powerful R visualization packages like ggplot2 to create compelling reports and dashboards.

References and Resources:

Conclusion:

Accessing SharePoint data in R offers a powerful way to unlock insights from your organizational data. By understanding the principles of SharePoint authentication and the REST API, you can effectively integrate R into your workflow for data analysis, reporting, and visualization. This approach empowers you to harness the full potential of your SharePoint data and drive informed decision-making.

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