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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Epicor Kinetic

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

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

Create a Epicor Kinetic-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Epicor Kinetic Data from the Blazor App

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

   To successfully connect to your ERP instance, you must specify the following connection properties:

   • Url:the URL of the server hosting your ERP instance. For example, https://myserver.EpicorSaaS.com
   • ERPInstance: the name of your ERP instance.
   • User: the username of your account.
   • Password: the password of your account.
   • Service: the service you want to retrieve data from. For example, BaqSvc.

   In addition, you may also set the optional connection properties:

   • ApiKey: An optional key that may be required for connection to some services depending on your account configuration.
   • ApiVersion: Defaults to v1. May be set to v2 to use the newer Epicor API.
   • Company: Required if you set the ApiVersion to v2.

   For example: Service=Erp.BO.CustomerSvc;ERPInstance=MyInstance;URL=https://myaccount.epicorsaas.com;User=username;Password=password;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.EpicorERP;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (EpicorERPConnection connection = new EpicorERPConnection(
                   "Service=Erp.BO.CustomerSvc;ERPInstance=MyInstance;URL=https://myaccount.epicorsaas.com;User=username;Password=password;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT CustNum, Company FROM Customers WHERE CompanyName = 'CompanyName'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     EpicorERPDataAdapter dataAdapter = new EpicorERPDataAdapter(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 Epicor Kinetic data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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