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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Blackbaud FE NXT

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

Install the Blackbaud FE NXT ADO.NET Data Provider from the CData website or from NuGet. Search NuGet for "Blackbaud FE NXT ADO.NET Data Provider."

Create a Blackbaud FE NXT-Connected Blazor App

Start by creating a Blazor project that references the CData ADO.NET Provider for Blackbaud FE NXT

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

SELECT Blackbaud FE NXT Data from the Blazor App

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

   Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate using OAuth, you will need to create an app to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties.

   See the Getting Started guide in the CData driver documentation for more information.

   For example: SubscriptionKey=MySubscriptionKey;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.FinancialEdgeNXT;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (FinancialEdgeNXTConnection connection = new FinancialEdgeNXTConnection(
                   "SubscriptionKey=MySubscriptionKey;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT AccountId, AccountNumber FROM Accounts";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     FinancialEdgeNXTDataAdapter dataAdapter = new FinancialEdgeNXTDataAdapter(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 Blackbaud FE NXT data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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