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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Basecamp

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

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

Create a Basecamp-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Basecamp Data from the Blazor App

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

   Basecamp uses basic or OAuth 2.0 authentication. To use basic authentication you will need the user and password that you use for logging in to Basecamp. To authenticate to Basecamp via OAuth 2.0, you will need to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties by registering an app with Basecamp.

   See the Getting Started section in the help documentation for a connection guide.

   Additionally, you will need to specify the AccountId connection property. This can be copied from the URL after you log in.

   For example: [email protected];Password=test123;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.Basecamp;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (BasecampConnection connection = new BasecampConnection(
                   "[email protected];Password=test123;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Name, DocumentsCount FROM Projects";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     BasecampDataAdapter dataAdapter = new BasecampDataAdapter(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 Basecamp data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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