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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Bing Search

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

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

Create a Bing Search-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Bing Search Results from the Blazor App

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

   To connect to Bing, set the ApiKey connection property. To obtain the API key, sign into Microsoft Cognitive Services and register for the Bing Search APIs.

   Two API keys are then generated; select either one.

   When querying tables, the SearchTerms parameter must be supplied in the WHERE clause.

   For example: APIKey=MyAPIKey;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.Bing;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (BingConnection connection = new BingConnection(
                   "APIKey=MyAPIKey;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Title, ViewCount FROM VideoSearch WHERE SearchTerms = 'WayneTech'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     BingDataAdapter dataAdapter = new BingDataAdapter(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 Search results as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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