Connect to DB2 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 IBM DB2 can be used with standard ADO.NET interfaces, such as LINQ and Entity Framework, to interact with live DB2 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 DB2 using standard SQL queries.

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for IBM DB2

CData ADO.NET Providers allow users to access DB2 just like they would access SQL Server, using simple SQL queries.

Install the DB2 ADO.NET Data Provider from the CData website or from NuGet. Search NuGet for "DB2 ADO.NET Data Provider."

Create a DB2-Connected Blazor App

Start by creating a Blazor project that references the CData ADO.NET Provider for IBM DB2

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.DB2.dll, typically located at C:\Program Files\CData\CData ADO.NET Provider for IBM DB2\lib etstandard2.0).

SELECT DB2 Data from the Blazor App

1. Open the Index.razor file from the Project page.
2. In a DB2Connection object, set the connection string:

   Set the following properties to connect to DB2:

   • Server: Set this to the name of the server running DB2.
   • Port: Set this to the port the DB2 server is listening on.
   • Database: Set this to the name of the DB2 database.
   • User: Set this to the username of a user allowed to access the database.
   • Password: Set this to the password of a user allowed to access the database.

   You will also need to install the corresponding DB2 driver:

   • Windows: Install the IBM Data Server Provider for .NET.

     On Windows, installing the IBM Data Server Provider is sufficient, as the installation registers it in the machine.config.

   • Java: Install the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC.

     In the Java version, place the IBM Data Server Driver JAR in the www\WEB-INF\lib\ folder for this application.

   For example: Server=10.0.1.2;Port=50000;User=admin;Password=admin;Database=test;

3. The code below creates a simple Blazor app for displaying DB2 data, using standard SQL to query DB2 just like SQL Server.

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.DB2;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (DB2Connection connection = new DB2Connection(
                   "Server=10.0.1.2;Port=50000;User=admin;Password=admin;Database=test;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Orders.Freight, Customers.ContactName FROM Customers INNER JOIN Orders ON Customers.CustomerId=Orders.CustomerId";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     DB2DataAdapter dataAdapter = new DB2DataAdapter(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 DB2 data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

   At this point, you have a DB2-connected Blazor app, capable of working with live DB2 data just like you would work with a SQL Server instance. Download a free, 30-day trial and start working with live DB2 data in your Blazor apps today.