Connect to Avalara AvaTax Data from Blazor Apps

Blazor is a framework for developing modern, client-side web UIs using .NET technology. Instead of coding in JavaScript, developers can use the familiar C# language and .NET libraries to build app UIs.

The CData ADO.NET Provider for Avalara can be used with standard ADO.NET interfaces, such as LINQ and Entity Framework, to interact with live Avalara AvaTax data. Since Blazor supports .NET Core, developers can use CData ADO.NET Providers in Blazor apps. In this article, we will guide you to build a simple Blazor app that talks to Avalara AvaTax using standard SQL queries.

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Avalara

CData ADO.NET Providers allow users to access Avalara AvaTax just like they would access SQL Server, using simple SQL queries.

Install the Avalara AvaTax ADO.NET Data Provider from the CData website or from NuGet. Search NuGet for "Avalara AvaTax ADO.NET Data Provider."

Create a Avalara AvaTax-Connected Blazor App

Start by creating a Blazor project that references the CData ADO.NET Provider for Avalara

1. Create a Blazor project on Visual Studio.
2. From the Solution Explorer, right click Dependencies, then click Add Project Reference.
3. In the Reference Manager, click the Browse button, and choose the .dll file of the installed ADO.NET Provider (e.g. System.Data.CData.AvalaraAvatax.dll, typically located at C:\Program Files\CData\CData ADO.NET Provider for Avalara\lib etstandard2.0).

SELECT Avalara AvaTax Data from the Blazor App

1. Open the Index.razor file from the Project page.
2. In a AvalaraAvataxConnection object, set the connection string:

   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.

   For example: User=MyUser;Password=MyPassword;

3. The code below creates a simple Blazor app for displaying Avalara AvaTax data, using standard SQL to query Avalara AvaTax just like SQL Server.

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.AvalaraAvatax;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (AvalaraAvataxConnection connection = new AvalaraAvataxConnection(
                   "User=MyUser;Password=MyPassword;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Id, TotalTax FROM Transactions WHERE Code = '051349'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     AvalaraAvataxDataAdapter dataAdapter = new AvalaraAvataxDataAdapter(sql, connection);
                     dataAdapter.Fill(results);
         
                     <table class="table table-bordered">
                         <thead class="thead-light">
                             <tr>
                                 @foreach (DataColumn item in results.Rows[0].Table.Columns)
                                 {
                                     <th scope="col">@item.ColumnName</th>
                                 }
                             </tr>
                         </thead>
                         <tbody>
                             @foreach (DataRow row in results.Rows)
                             {
                                 <tr>
                                     @foreach (var column in row.ItemArray)
                                     {
                                         <td>@column.ToString()</td>
                                     }
                                 </tr>
                             }
                         </tbody>
                     </table>
                 }
             </div>
         </div>
       

4. Rebuild and run the project. The ADO.NET Provider renders Avalara AvaTax data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

   At this point, you have a Avalara AvaTax-connected Blazor app, capable of working with live Avalara AvaTax data just like you would work with a SQL Server instance. Download a free, 30-day trial and start working with live Avalara AvaTax data in your Blazor apps today.