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Rapidly create and deploy powerful .NET applications that integrate with AvaTax.

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DataBind Charts to Avalara AvaTax Data


Use the standard ADO.NET procedures for databinding to provide bidirectional access to Avalara AvaTax data from controls in the Visual Studio toolbox. This article demonstrates a graphical approach using wizards in Visual Studio, as well as how to databind with only a few lines of code.

DataBinding facilitates two-way interaction with data through UI controls. Using the CData ADO.NET Provider for Avalara AvaTax streamlines the process of binding Avalara AvaTax data to Windows Forms and Web controls within Visual Studio. In this article, we will demonstrate using wizards to establish a binding between Avalara AvaTax data and a chart that dynamically updates. Additionally, the code walk-through section will guide you through the creation of a chart using just 10 lines of code.

DataBind to a Chart

DataBinding consists of three steps: Instantiate the control, configure the data source, and databind.

Configure the Connection and Select Database Objects

To create a chart control and establish a connection to Avalara AvaTax, follow the steps outlined below using the Data Source Configuration Wizard. Within the wizard, you'll have the option to choose the specific Avalara AvaTax entities you wish to bind to.

  1. In a Windows Forms project, drag and drop a Chart control from the toolbox to the form. In the Data section of the Chart properties, select DataSource and then select Add Project Data Source from the menu.
  2. In the Data Source Configuration Wizard that appears, select Database -> Dataset.
  3. In the Choose Your Data Connection step, click New Connection.

  4. In the Add Connection dialog, click Change to select the CData Avalara AvaTax Data Source.

    Below is a typical connection string:

    User=MyUser;Password=MyPassword;

    The primary method for performing basic authentication is to provide your login credentials, as follows:

    • User: Set this to your username.
    • Password: Set this to your password.

    Optionally, if you are making use of a sandbox environment, set the following:

    • UseSandbox: Set this to true if you are authenticating with a sandbox account.

    Authenticating Using Account Number and License Key

    Alternatively, you can authenticate using your account number and license key. Connect to data using the following:

    • AccountId: Set this to your Account Id. The Account Id is listed in the upper right hand corner of the admin console.
    • LicenseKey: Set this to your Avalara Avatax license key. You can generate a license key by logging into Avalara Avatax as an account administrator and navigating to Settings -> Reset License Key.

    When you configure the connection, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

  5. Choose the database objects you want to work with. This example uses the Transactions table.

DataBind

After adding the data source and selecting database objects, you can bind the objects to the chart. This example assigns the x-axis to Id and the y-axis to TotalTax.

  1. In the Chart properties, click the button in the Series property to open the Series Collection Editor.
  2. In the Series properties, select the columns you want for the x- and y-axes: Select columns from the menu in the XValueMember and YValueMember properties.

The chart is now databound to the Avalara AvaTax data. Run the chart to display the current data.

Code Walk-through

DataBinding to Avalara AvaTax data requires only a few lines of code and can be completed in three easy steps.

  1. Connect to Avalara AvaTax.
  2. Create the AvalaraAvataxDataAdapter to execute the query and create a DataSet to be filled with its results.
  3. DataBind the result set to the chart.

Below is the complete code:

AvalaraAvataxConnection conn = new AvalaraAvataxConnection("User=MyUser;Password=MyPassword;"); AvalaraAvataxCommand comm = new AvalaraAvataxCommand("SELECT Id, TotalTax FROM Transactions WHERE Code = '051349'", conn); AvalaraAvataxDataAdapter da = new AvalaraAvataxDataAdapter(comm); DataSet dataset = new DataSet(); da.Fill(dataset); chart1.DataSource = dataset; chart1.Series[0].XValueMember = "Id"; chart1.Series[0].YValueMembers = "TotalTax"; // Insert code for additional chart formatting here. chart1.DataBind();