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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Azure DevOps

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

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

Create a Azure DevOps-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Azure DevOps Data from the Blazor App

1. Open the Index.razor file from the Project page.
2. In a AzureDevOpsConnection object, set the connection string: You can connect to your Azure DevOps account by providing the Organization and PersonalAccessToken.

   Obtaining a Personal Access Token

   A PersonalAccessToken is necessary for account authentication.

   To generate one, log in to your Azure DevOps Organization account and navigate to Profile -> Personal Access Tokens -> New Token. The generated token will be displayed.

   If you wish to authenticate to Azure DevOps using OAuth refer to the online Help documentation for an authentication guide.

   For example: AuthScheme=Basic;Organization=MyAzureDevOpsOrganization;ProjectId=MyProjectId;PersonalAccessToken=MyPAT;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.AzureDevOps;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (AzureDevOpsConnection connection = new AzureDevOpsConnection(
                   "AuthScheme=Basic;Organization=MyAzureDevOpsOrganization;ProjectId=MyProjectId;PersonalAccessToken=MyPAT;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Id, BuildNumber FROM Builds WHERE Reason = 'Manual'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     AzureDevOpsDataAdapter dataAdapter = new AzureDevOpsDataAdapter(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 DevOps data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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