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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Azure Data Catalog

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

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

Create a Azure Data Catalog-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Azure Data Catalog Data from the Blazor App

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

   You can optionally set the following to read the different catalog data returned from Azure Data Catalog.

   CatalogName: Set this to the CatalogName associated with your Azure Data Catalog. To get your Catalog name, navigate to your Azure Portal home page > Data Catalog > Catalog Name

   Connect Using OAuth Authentication

   You must use OAuth to authenticate with Azure Data Catalog. OAuth requires the authenticating user to interact with Azure Data Catalog using the browser. For more information, refer to the OAuth section in the help documentation.

   For example:

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.AzureDataCatalog;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (AzureDataCatalogConnection connection = new AzureDataCatalogConnection(
                   ""))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT DslAddressDatabase, Type FROM Tables WHERE Name = 'FactProductInventory'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     AzureDataCatalogDataAdapter dataAdapter = new AzureDataCatalogDataAdapter(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 Data Catalog data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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