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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Freshdesk

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

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

Create a Freshdesk-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Freshdesk Data from the Blazor App

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

   FreshDesk makes use of basic authentication. To connect to data, set the following connection properties:

   • Domain: Set this to the domain associated with your FreshDesk account. For example, in your URL: https://my_domain.freshdesk.com.
   • APIKey: Set this to the API key associated with your FreshDesk account. To retrieve your API key, Log into your support Portal -> Click on profile picture in the top right corner -> profile settings page. The API key will be available below the change password section to the right.

   For example: Domain=MyDomain;APIKey=myAPIKey;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.FreshDesk;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (FreshDeskConnection connection = new FreshDeskConnection(
                   "Domain=MyDomain;APIKey=myAPIKey;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Id, Name FROM Tickets WHERE Status = '2'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     FreshDeskDataAdapter dataAdapter = new FreshDeskDataAdapter(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 Freshdesk data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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