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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for eBay

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

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

Create a eBay-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT eBay Data from the Blazor App

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

   If you will be accessing your own account, you can generate an OAuthAccessToken from your developer account dashboard. You can also allow other users to securely access their own accounts.

   Both of these methods require you to create an application key set to obtain values for the following connection properties: AppId, CertId, DevId, and SiteId.

   The user consent flow additionally requires the RuName and CallbackURL.

   See the "Getting Started" chapter in the help documentation for a guide to using OAuth.

   For example: AppId=MyAppId;CertId=MyCertId;DevId=MyDevId;SiteId=MySiteId;RuName=MyRuName;CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.Ebay;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (EbayConnection connection = new EbayConnection(
                   "AppId=MyAppId;CertId=MyCertId;DevId=MyDevId;SiteId=MySiteId;RuName=MyRuName;CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Title, HitCount FROM ItemListing";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     EbayDataAdapter dataAdapter = new EbayDataAdapter(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 eBay data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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