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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Dynamics NAV

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

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

Create a Dynamics NAV-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Dynamics NAV Data from the Blazor App

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

   Before you can connect, OData Services will need to be enabled on the server. Once OData Services are enabled, you will be able to query any Services that are published on the server.

   The User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, must be set to valid Dynamics NAV user credentials. In addition, you will need to specify a URL to a valid Dynamics NAV server organization root and a ServerInstance. If there is not a Service Default Company for the server, you will need to set the Company as well.

   For example: http://myserver:7048;User=myserver\Administrator;Password=admin;ServerInstance=DYNAMICSNAV71;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.DynamicsNAV;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (DynamicsNAVConnection connection = new DynamicsNAVConnection(
                   "http://myserver:7048;User=myserver\Administrator;Password=admin;ServerInstance=DYNAMICSNAV71;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Name, Prices_Including_VAT FROM Customer";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     DynamicsNAVDataAdapter dataAdapter = new DynamicsNAVDataAdapter(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 Dynamics NAV data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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