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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Bing Ads

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

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

Create a Bing Ads-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Bing Ads Data from the Blazor App

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

   The Bing Ads APIs use the OAuth 2 standard. To authenticate, you will need valid Bing Ads OAuth credentials and you will need to obtain a developer token. See the Getting Started section in the Bing Ads data provider help documentation for an authentication guide.

   For example: OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId; OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret; CallbackURL=http://localhost:portNumber; AccountId=442311; CustomerId=5521444; DeveloperToken=11112332233;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.BingAds;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (BingAdsConnection connection = new BingAdsConnection(
                   " OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId; OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret; CallbackURL=http://localhost:portNumber; AccountId=442311; CustomerId=5521444; DeveloperToken=11112332233;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Id, Name FROM AdGroups";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     BingAdsDataAdapter dataAdapter = new BingAdsDataAdapter(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 Bing Ads data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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