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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Google Search

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

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

Create a Google Search-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Google Search Results from the Blazor App

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

   To search with a Google custom search engine, you need to set the CustomSearchId and ApiKey connection properties.

   To obtain the CustomSearchId property, sign into Google Custom Search Engine and create a new search engine.

   To obtain the ApiKey property, you must enable the Custom Search API in the Google API Console.

   For example: CustomSearchId=def456;ApiKey=abc123;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.GoogleSearch;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (GoogleSearchConnection connection = new GoogleSearchConnection(
                   "CustomSearchId=def456;ApiKey=abc123;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Title, ViewCount FROM VideoSearch WHERE SearchTerms = 'WayneTech'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     GoogleSearchDataAdapter dataAdapter = new GoogleSearchDataAdapter(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 Google Search results as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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