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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Dropbox

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

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

Create a Dropbox-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Dropbox Data from the Blazor App

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

   Dropbox uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate using OAuth, you can use the embedded credentials or register an app with Dropbox.

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

   For example:

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.Dropbox;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (DropboxConnection connection = new DropboxConnection(
                   ""))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Id, Name FROM Files";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     DropboxDataAdapter dataAdapter = new DropboxDataAdapter(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 Dropbox data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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