Kaizen #15 - Java SDK for Self Client
Hello everyone!
Welcome to yet another post in the Kaizen series.
This week, we are going to discuss the Java SDK for a self client .
What is a Software Development Kit (SDK)?
A software development kit contains all the tools (compiler, debugger, code samples, and so on) that are needed to create applications in one package. SDKs are language-specific and thus used to build client applications in a specific programming language.
Java Software Development Kit
Java SDK allows you to create a client Java applications that can be integrated with Zoho CRM effortlessly. It serves as a wrapper for the REST APIs , thus making it easier to use the services of Zoho CRM.
Here is a sample of how SDK acts as a middleware between Zoho CRM and Client Java Application.
What can you do with the Java Software Development Kit?
- You can use Java SDK to exchange data between Zoho CRM and the client Java application.
- The authentication process becomes hassle-free with Java SDK. Since it is handled in the SDK code by default, you need not worry about generating the grant token, access/refresh tokens every time you sync data between Zoho CRM and your self client.
Environment Setup
Java SDK requires Java version 7 or above to be set up in your development environment.
Including the Java SDK in your project
You can include the Java SDK in your project using:
a. Maven distribution
b. Gradle
c. Downloadable JARs
a. Maven distribution - It is a build automation tool used primarily for Java projects. Include the following code to your pom.XML file.
<repositories> <repository> <id>java-sdk</id> <url> https://maven.zohodl.com </url> </repository> </repositories> <dependencies> <dependency> <groupId>com.zoho.crm</groupId> <artifactId>java-sdk</artifactId> <version>2.0.2</version> </dependency> </dependencies> |
b. Gradle - It is also a build tool, similar to Maven. The major difference is that, instead of XML files, Gradle uses Groovy (a domain-specific programming language) to declare the Java project configuration. You need to add the following code to your build.gradle file.
repositories{ maven { url " https://maven.zohodl.com " } } dependencies{ implementation 'com.zoho.crm:java-sdk:2.0.2' } |
c. Downloadable JARs (by Zoho) - Java Archive is a platform-independent file format that aggregates many files into one. The JAR file consists of the SDK. You have to download individual dependency JARs and add them to your reference libraries in your Java application: Download JAR (SDK)
Click here to download the dependency JARs.
The list of dependency JARs are:
- hamcrest-all-1.3 : Hamcrest consists of a single jar file that contains base classes and a library of useful matcher implementations.
- httpclient-4.4.1 : The Apache HttpClient library allows you to handle HTTP requests.
- httpcore-4.4.4 : HttpCore is a set of low-level HTTP transport components that you can use to build custom client and server-side HTTP services.
- httpmime-4.5.3 : The Apache HttpMime library consists of MIME code entities.
- json-20170516 : The files in this package implement JSON encoders/decoders in Java. It also includes the capability to convert between JSON and XML, HTTP headers, Cookies, and CDL.
- servlet-api-2.5 : Servlet API consists of classes to support HTTP servlet.
- commons-logging-1.1.3 : The commons-logging JAR provides an API for logging in server-based applications that you can use around a variety of different logging implementations.
- mysql-connector-java-5.1.44-bin.jar : You need to include this JAR if you are using a MySQL database. MySQL Connector JAR provides connectivity for java client applications with MySQL Connector (a driver that implements the Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) API)
How to start using the Java SDK?
In this section, we will discuss how to start using the Java SDK for your application (authenticated via self-client) which uses Zoho CRM.
- Prerequisite: Register your application
- Knowlege Base: Adding persistence classes
- Initialization
1. Prerequisite: Register your application
All the Zoho CRM APIs are authenticated by the OAuth2.0 standards . It is mandatory to authenticate the self client with Zoho.
Step 1: Goto https://api-console.zoho.com
Step 2: Click ADD CLIENT
Step 3: Choose Self Client and click CREATE NOW
Step 4: Choose the Client Type as Self Client , and click CREATE .
Step 5: Once you successfully register your self-client, you will receive a Client ID and Client Secret .
2. Knowledge Base: Adding persistence classes
This section consists of two parts:
a. Initializing your client application
b. Adding persistence classes
a. Initializing your client application
To authenticate the client application, you need to add the following key-value configuration pairs to the initialization code of your java client.
Key Description
Key | Description |
client_id, client_secret, and redirect_uri mandatory | You can get these values after registering your client. |
currentUserEmail mandatory | The Email ID of the current user. |
persistence_handler_class mandatory | The implementation of ZohoOAuthPersistenceInterface |
logFilePath optional | The absolute/relative file path of the file that stores the logs. |
domainSuffix optional | The domain from which the API calls are made. It can be .com (for US), .eu (for Europe), .cn (for China). If you specify this value, you need not specify apiBaseUrl and iamURL. |
accessType optional | The type of environment from which the API calls are made. Possible values are "Production", "Development", or "Sandbox" |
access_type optional | Must be set as as "offline". Online OAuth client is not supported by the Java SDK as of now |
apiBaseUrl optional | The URL that is used to make API calls. You need not specify this value if you give domainSuffix. The possible values are: https://www.zohoapis.com (default) |
iamURL optional | The accounts URL. You need not specify this value if you specify domainSuffix. The possible values are: |
mysql_password and mysql_username mandatory when you use MySQL persistence | The MySQL username and password, respectively. |
Key Value Configuration
HashMap <String, String> zcrmConfigurations = new HashMap <String, String >(); zcrmConfigurations.put("minLogLevel", "ALL"); zcrmConfigurations.put("currentUserEmail","{user_email_id}"); zcrmConfigurations.put("client_id","1000. xxxxxxxxx"); zcrmConfigurations.put("client_secret","xxxxxxxxxxxx"); zcrmConfigurations.put("redirect_uri",""); zcrmConfigurations.put("persistence_handler_class","com.zoho.oauth.clientapp.ZohoOAuthDBPersistence ");//for database. "com.zoho.oauth.clientapp.ZohoOAuthFilePersistence" for file, user can implement his own persistence and provide the path here zcrmConfigurations.put("oauth_tokens_file_path","/path/to/oauthtokens.properties");//optional path can be absolute(Ex:/User/Document/testapplication/src/oauthtokens.properties) or relative (Ex: /testapplication/src/oauthtokens.properties) zcrmConfigurations.put("domainSuffix","com");//optional. Default is com. "cn", "eu", and "in" supported zcrmConfigurations.put("accessType","Production");//Production->www(default), Development->developer, Sandbox->sandbox(optional) zcrmConfigurations.put("access_type","offline");//optional zcrmConfigurations.put("apiBaseUrl"," https://www.zohoapis.com ");//optional zcrmConfigurations.put("iamURL"," https://accounts.zoho.com ");//optional zcrmConfigurations.put("logFilePath","/path/to/file.log");//path can be absolute(Ex:/User/Document/testapplication/src/file.log) or relative (Ex: /testapplication/src/file.log) zcrmConfigurations.put("mysql_password","pass@123");//optional zcrmConfigurations.put("mysql_username",username");//optional ZCRMRestClient.initialize(zcrmConfigurations);//for initializing |
2. Adding persistence class
Your application should retain tokens (grant, access, and refresh tokens) to automate the process of data-sync between your java application and Zoho CRM.
You can persist tokens in your application by using any one of the below mentioned persistence methods:
a. By using an implementation of the inbuilt ZohoPersistenceHandler interface .
- ZohoOAuthFilePersistence (To store tokens in a File )
- ZohoOAuthDBPersistence (To store tokens in a Database )
b. By using your own implementation
Let us now look into each of the above mentioned methods.
a. By using an implementation of the inbuilt ZohoPersistenceHandler interface
Our Java SDK provides two default implementations of the ZohoPersistenceHandler interface within the client library. They are:
i. ZohoOAuthFilePersistence
ii. ZohoOAuthDBPersistence
i. ZohoOAuthFilePersistence - This type of persistence uses a file to read and write OAuth tokens. The file persists the token of a single user. So, it is best used for the 'self-client' type of authentication since it involves only one user.
Values to be given in configuration map
persistence_handler_class =com.zoho.oauth.clientapp.ZohoOAuthFilePersistence
oauth_tokens_file_path =absolute or relative path of the "oauthtokens.properties" file in the workspace.
ii. ZohoOAuthDBPersistence - This type of persistence uses MySQL persistence. You can use this type of persistence if you have more than one user using the application.
Some of the prerequisites for using this type of persistence are:
- MySQL should be running in the same machine serving at the default port 3306.
- The database name should be "zohooauth".
There must be a table "oauthtokens" with the columns "useridentifier" (varchar(255)), "accesstoken" (varchar(255)), "refreshtoken" (varchar(255)) and "expirytime" (bigint).
Values to be given in configuration map
persistence_handler_class =com.zoho.oauth.clientapp.ZohoOAuthDBPersistence
mysql_username =root
mysql_password ={your MySQL password}
b. By using your own implementation
You can also use your own implementation. The ZohoPersistenceHandler interface must have the following methods:
- getOAuthTokens() — invoked to fetch the saved tokens. This method should return ZohoOAuthTokens object for the library to process it.
- saveOAuthData(ZohoOAuthTokens tokens) — invoked to store the tokens.
- deleteOAuthTokens() — invoked to delete the tokens.
C. Initialization
Intializing your application involves the following steps:
Step 1: Generating the grant token
Step 2: Generating the access and refresh tokens using the grant token
Step 3: Generating the access token using the refresh token
Step 1: Generating the Grant Token
(i). Go to https://api-console.zoho.com/
(ii). Choose Self-Client
(iii). Enter the comma separated ZohoCRM scopes along with aaaserver.profile.READ . Choose the time duration (the grant token will be valid only till the time chosen here) and enter the description . Now, click GENERATE.
(iii). Copy the grant token displayed
Step 2: Generating the Access and Refresh Tokens
After obtaining the grant token, put the following code snippet in a java file and execute it from your main class to get access and refresh tokens.
ZCRMRestClient.initialize(configurations_map); ZohoOAuthClient cli = ZohoOAuthClient.getInstance(); String grantToken = “paste_the_self_authorized_grant_token_here”; ZohoOAuthTokens tokens = cli.generateAccessToken(grantToken); String accessToken = tokens.getAccessToken(); String refreshToken = tokens.getRefreshToken(); System.out.println("access token = " + accessToken + " & refresh token = " + refreshToken); |
2a. On using ZohoOAuthFilePersistence method
The access and refresh tokens are generated and stored in the oauth_tokens.properties file .
2b. On using ZohoOAuthDBPersistence method
The access and refresh tokens are generated and stored in " oauthtokens " table of your MySQL
Step 3: Generating the Access token from Refresh token
Use the below code snippet to generate the access token from the refresh token.
ZohoOAuthClient client = ZohoOAuthClient.getInstance(); client.generateAccessTokenFromRefreshToken(refreshToken, userMailId); |
Sample SDK Code
When you build your application using the Java SDK, the code template will be similar to:
Refer to the attachment to get the code. For more sample codes, refer to our SDK guide .
The isTokenGenerated Method:
This method checks if the access token has already been generated or not. It returns a boolean value:
true - The access token has already been generated.
false - The access token has not been generated previously, thus, it shifts the control to the code snippet that leads to access token generation.
See you next week with another post.
Cheers!
Previous 'Kaizen' - Notification API
Next 'Kaizen' - Python SDK
Access your files securely from anywhere
Centralize Knowledge. Transform Learning.
All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Sneha Sridharan
Umashankar
Praveen Sankar
Sticky Posts
Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint
Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script
Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In thisKaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List
Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore howKaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications
Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho CRM Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
Feature Request - Ability to Customise Contact Info Card on Ticket Details View
Hi Desk Team, I've added a "Contact Priority" and "Account Prioirty" field and it would be very useful to agents if they could see that information in the Contact Info card on the Ticket Details view. It would be great if we could choose some fields toTax in Quote
Each row item in a quote has a tax value. At the total numbers at the bottom, there is also a Tax entry. If you select tax in both of the (line item, and the total), the tax doubles. My assumption is that the Tax total should be totalling the tax fromZoho Flow integration with Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp
Hi there, any plans of adding integrations with Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp into Zoho Flow? Seems that more and more business are delivering automated updates such as "your order is received", "your order has been shipped" and so on via these two platforms. Not sure if Whatsapp has the API access needed i am pretty sure that Facebook Messenger has... Kind regards Bo ThygesenCampaigns unsubscribe/manage preferences links
Hi, Where can I edit the unscubscribe and manage preferences link in the footer of the email. I would like it so that when you click 'manage preferences' an form opens up that allows the person to choose what type of emails they do and don't wish toemail address somehow still not verified (?!)
L.S. After creating a new email template in CRM I was about to send a group email to my clients, then Zoho CRM announced that they would change the sender address to some kind of Zoho-e-ddress because my email address "has not been verified". Not onlyMarketing Tip #17: Add credibility to your online store with Review Widgets
One of the fastest ways to build trust in an online store is to show real customer feedback right where people are deciding to buy. Third-party widgets let you embed things like Google Reviews, Instagram feeds, or even a WhatsApp chat button. These addadding several team members to an Opportunity
How can we add several team members to one opportunity for collaboration? I have researched and only found something called Deal Team which I cannot find in my CRM to configure.Bulk update Profile Permissions
Dears, What should we do if we add new forms or reports and need to update more than 20 permissions? Updating them one by one feels pretty harsh, doesn’t it?Filter in fields from Jira extension
We have installed the Jira extension so we can maken Jira issues from Zoho desk. In Zoho desk I can also see the Jira issue status for example but I can not filter on this field. I would like to setup an filter showing me the closed Jira issues. How canZoho Creator customer portal limitation | Zoho One
I'm asking you all for any feedback as to the logic or reasoning behind drastically limiting portal users when Zoho already meters based on number of records. I'm a single-seat, Zoho One Enterprise license holder. If my portal users are going to add records, wouldn't that increase revenue for Zoho as that is how Creator is monetized? Why limit my customer portal to only THREE external users when more users would equate to more records being entered into the database?!? (See help ticket reply below.)Add Reporting feature to display variance/change columns when comparing periods
When running reports to compare periods (for example, Profit and Loss comparing current year to previous), I would like to be able to display variance columns in both (a) amount or (b) percentage.Link Contacts to Billed Accounts
Hello, I want to do a survey on all my customers of 2025. For that I want to select all contacts linked to accounts who where billed in 2025. How to I create this link to I can then use Zoho Survey with this database of contacts?Pre-Zoho Sales Info - Best Way to Add to Desk / CRM
My company has been using Zoho One since 2021, with sales data going back through 2020. However, we have been in business much longer, and we have historical sales information that we want to have at our fingertips when talking with customers (usuallyCRM function REST API response format
Is there a way to control the JSON response returned by the CRM function REST API? If I call a function using either OAuth or an API key it returns a 200 OK response with a string in the format shown below. I am using a particular feature of an externalUsing MPN across multiple SKUs and inventory tracking
I have several different SKU's that share a common MPN and would like to track inventory by MPN. SKU1 has MPN1 assigned SKU2 has MPN1 assigned Here is an example If I start with 5 of MPN 1 in stock I want each SKU1 and SKU2 to show as 5 in stock, If IUnable to Access Application:
Whenever I try to access my application from the desktop, say I am editing it and want to test something in the desktop environment I get: An error has occurred. An internal error has occurred. Please check the URL , or try refreshing the page I can editEvernote (ENEX) import limitations
I have been with Evernote since 2010, but the latest price increase is ridiculous. I am currently testing Zoho Notebook as a replacement. I am impressed so far - if it were not for critical need to import legacy Evernote notes, I would 100% migrate toCannot see Application from Lookup field
Hi all, I am trying to access data for an application on our account via a lookup field; however, the application doesn't appear in the dropdown at all. Can anyone shed any light on this, please? I have asked Zoho support; however, they're just as confused,Zoho CRM Meetings Module Issues
We have a use-case that is very common in today's world, but won't work in Zoho CRM. We have an SDR (Sales Development Rep) who makes many calls per day to Leads and Contacts, and schedules meetings for our primary Sales Reps. He does this by loggingZoho Books integration sync from Zoho CRM does not work
Hi Zoho Community & Zoho Support We just tried to get a sync some products into Zoho Books from CRM using the native sync and we're getting an error: "It looks like some mandatory fields you're trying to map are empty. Please provide valid field namesDisable Auto Send Email Notification in Invoice Creation
Here is what I am facing Make payment via Razor Pay (All Good) Capture payload data on my webapp Send this data, along with other data to Zoho books to create the invoice However in this step - An email goes to the client + The Invoice remains as draftP & L Sub-categorized accounts
How can I show sub-categorized Income and Expense accounts on the P & L report?Report showing Bill Details with Project and Sales Invoice Number
Hi There, I am hoping that someone can help, I am looking for report that can show the bill and expense details along with project its as assigned to and the invoice number that the sales has been raised in. The goal is I can filter a customer/projectAdvanced Payment for Inventory Items with serial numbers
Hello, We sell equipment that we track the unique serial numbers on using Sales Orders. We can charge the customers an advanced payment, then the balance on delivery. We cannot figure out a way to do this in Books/Inventory: - Cannot part invoice a SOIs it possible to restrict ZCRM user to see only custom views created by administrator
I have segmented data in my CRM and I want to allow different users to be able to see only parts of it based on some criteria. I've tried to create and share a custom view, but then there is always an option for user to see all open lead for example.Issues Logging into ZOHO
Hello, one of my coworkers is having issues logging into ZOHO, she has requested a code when entering and the email is correct but she has not received the code. can you help us with this?Google Fonts Integration in Pagesense Popup Editor
Hello Zoho Pagesense Team, We hope you're doing well. We’d like to submit a feature request to enhance Zoho Pagesense’s popup editor with Google Fonts support. Current Limitation: Currently, Pagesense offers a limited set of default fonts. Google FontsAdd Popup Rejection Metrics to Reports
Hello Zoho PageSense Team, We would like to request improved reporting for popup interactions. Current Limitation: PageSense currently provides conversion data, but there is no clear visibility into: Popup rejections Popup closes (✕ button clicks) DismissalsAbility to Reset / Reinitialize Popup Cookies
Hello Zoho PageSense Team, We would like to request the ability to manually reset popup cookies. Current Limitation: At the moment, it is not possible to initiate a new popup cookie from the our side. Visitors who rejected or closed a popup will not seeControl Popup Cookie Expiration Duration
Hello Zoho PageSense Team, We would like to request an enhancement related to popup cookie management. Current Limitation: Currently, PageSense popup cookies remain active for 365 days, and this duration cannot be modified by us. If a visitor closes orClone / Export Popup Design Across PageSense Projects
Hello Zoho PageSense Team, We hope you’re doing well. We would like to request an enhancement that allows popup designs to be reused across different PageSense projects. Problem Statement: Currently, Zoho PageSense allows popups to be duplicated onlyAre there settings for hyperlinks?
Clicking a hyperlinked cell in Sheet creates this little pop-up with the actual hyperlink inside. Is it possible to have a 1-click link where if you click the cell it opens the link directly with no pop-up?Automatically include all ticket attachments in the ticket resolution email
Hello Zoho Community, We are implementing Zoho Desk in a real customer-facing production environment and have run into a limitation that is becoming a blocking requirement for our clients. The problem When a ticket is closed or resolved, Zoho Desk sendsKeep Zoho People Feature Requests in the Zoho People Forum
Hello Zoho People Product Team, Greetings. We would like to submit a feature request regarding the handling of feature requests themselves, specifically for Zoho People. Issue: Feature Requests Being Moved to Zoho One Zoho People feature requests areCan I write a check in Zoho Books with no associated bill?
This currently does not seem possible, and I have a client that desperately needs this function if I am able to convert them with Quickbooks. Thank you in advance for your reply.Finding text within a ticket: Expand All or Search this Ticket
The auto-collapse feature within a ticket is nice for screen scrolling, however it makes it difficult to find text within the ticket if the email is collapsed. In fact you cannot find text if it is collapsed. I would like to propose a feature that allowsBooks & Desk. Client mapping
Hi, I’ve been using Zoho Books for several years and am now looking to improve my customer service. I'm experimenting with Zoho Desk and want to sync and map my client data from Zoho Books. However, it seems that mapping requires both contacts to haveString handling
If I cut a currency string from a quote and try and paste it into the Deal "Amount", it will fail unless I manually delete any commas. Dollar signs are no problem, but comma's seem to fail. Please correct this Input Validation error.Allow Stripe Credit Card and Stripe ACH payment methods to be enabled separately on an invoice.
I need to be able to pick at the invoice level whether Stripe Credit Card and/or Stripe ACH payment methods are available. Currently, I'm not able to select from the two Stripe payment methods individually on an invoice. However, there are some largerSKUs for Invoices, POs, etc.
It doesn't appear that one can enable SKU display on invoices, POs, etc. This is problematic, and I don't see a good reason why this shouldn't be an option. Some of our vendors and customers use this in their system. Every other identifier code is availableNext Page