Connect to Azure Table 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 Azure can be used with standard ADO.NET interfaces, such as LINQ and Entity Framework, to interact with live Azure Table 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 Azure Table using standard SQL queries.

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Azure

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

Install the Azure Table ADO.NET Data Provider from the CData website or from NuGet. Search NuGet for "Azure Table ADO.NET Data Provider."

Create a Azure Table-Connected Blazor App

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

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.AzureTables.dll, typically located at C:\Program Files\CData\CData ADO.NET Provider for Azure\lib etstandard2.0).

SELECT Azure Table Data from the Blazor App

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

   Specify your AccessKey and your Account to connect. Set the Account property to the Storage Account Name and set AccessKey to one of the Access Keys. Either the Primary or Secondary Access Keys can be used. To obtain these values, navigate to the Storage Accounts blade in the Azure portal. You can obtain the access key by selecting your account and clicking Access Keys in the Settings section.

   For example: AccessKey=myAccessKey;Account=myAccountName;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.AzureTables;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (AzureTablesConnection connection = new AzureTablesConnection(
                   "AccessKey=myAccessKey;Account=myAccountName;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Name, Price FROM NorthwindProducts";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     AzureTablesDataAdapter dataAdapter = new AzureTablesDataAdapter(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 Azure Table data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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