DataBind Charts to Google Translate Data

Jerod Johnson
Jerod Johnson
Director, Technology Evangelism
Use the standard ADO.NET procedures for databinding to provide bidirectional access to Google Translate data from controls in the Visual Studio toolbox. This article demonstrates a graphical approach using wizards in Visual Studio, as well as how to databind with only a few lines of code.

DataBinding facilitates two-way interaction with data through UI controls. Using the CData ADO.NET Provider for Google Translate streamlines the process of binding Google Translate data to Windows Forms and Web controls within Visual Studio. In this article, we will demonstrate using wizards to establish a binding between Google Translate data and a chart that dynamically updates. Additionally, the code walk-through section will guide you through the creation of a chart using just 10 lines of code.

Binding Data to a Chart

DataBinding to a Chart consists of three steps: Instantiate the control, configure the data source, and databind.

Configure the Connection and Select Database Objects

To create a chart control and establish a connection to Google Translate, follow the steps outlined below using the Data Source Configuration Wizard. Within the wizard, you'll have the option to choose the specific Google Translate entities you wish to bind to.

  1. In a Windows Forms project, drag and drop a Chart control from the toolbox to the form. In the Data section of the Chart properties, select DataSource and then select Add Project Data Source from the menu.
  2. In the Data Source Configuration Wizard that appears, select Database -> Dataset.
  3. In the Choose Your Data Connection step, click New Connection.
  4. In the Add Connection dialog, click Change to select the CData Google Translate Data Source.

    Below is a typical connection string:

    Profile=C:\profiles\GoogleTranslate.apip;AuthScheme=OAuth;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;OAuthClientId=your_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=your_client_secret;CallbackUrl=your_callback_url;

    Authentication

    Google Cloud Translation API requires OAuth 2.0 authentication to ensure secure access to translation services, datasets, glossaries, and adaptive MT resources. This authentication method allows you to securely connect to your Google Cloud project and manage translation resources with proper authorization.

    OAuth 2.0 Setup and Configuration

    Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project and Enable API

    To set up OAuth authentication:

    1. Visit the Google Cloud Console
    2. Create a new project or select an existing project
    3. Note down your Project ID (required for all API calls)
    4. Navigate to "APIs & Services" > "Library"
    5. Search for and enable the "Cloud Translation API"
    6. Go to "APIs & Services" > "Credentials"
    7. Click "Create Credentials" and select "OAuth Client ID"
    8. Configure the OAuth consent screen if prompted
    9. Select "Desktop application" or "Web application" as appropriate
    10. Set the authorized redirect URI (CallbackURL)
    11. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret for use in your connection

    Required Connection Properties

    • AuthScheme: Set this to OAuth (required)
    • OAuthClientId: Client ID from Google Cloud Console (required)
    • OAuthClientSecret: Client secret from Google Cloud Console (required)
    • CallbackURL: Redirect URI specified in your OAuth application (required)
    • InitiateOAuth: Set to GETANDREFRESH for automatic token management (recommended)
    • ProjectId: Your Google Cloud project ID or project number (required for queries)

    Required OAuth Scopes

    The Google Cloud Translation API Profile requires the following OAuth scope:

    • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-translation - Full access to Cloud Translation API resources including translation, datasets, glossaries, and adaptive MT

    When you configure the connection, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

  5. Choose the database objects you want to work with. This example uses the SupportedLanguages table.

DataBind

After adding the data source and selecting database objects, you can bind the objects to the chart. This example assigns the x-axis to LanguageCode and the y-axis to DisplayName.

  1. In the Chart properties, click the button in the Series property to open the Series Collection Editor.
  2. In the Series properties, select the columns you want for the x- and y-axes: Select columns from the menu in the XValueMember and YValueMember properties.

The chart is now databound to the Google Translate data. Run the chart to display the current data.

Code Walk-through

DataBinding to Google Translate data requires only a few lines of code and can be completed in three easy steps.

  1. Connect to Google Translate.
  2. Create the APIDataAdapter to execute the query and create a DataSet to be filled with its results.
  3. DataBind the result set to the chart.

Below is the complete code:

APIConnection conn = new APIConnection("Profile=C:\profiles\GoogleTranslate.apip;AuthScheme=OAuth;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;OAuthClientId=your_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=your_client_secret;CallbackUrl=your_callback_url;");
APICommand comm = new APICommand("SELECT LanguageCode, DisplayName FROM SupportedLanguages WHERE ProjectId = 'my-project-12345'", conn);
APIDataAdapter da = new APIDataAdapter(comm);
DataSet dataset = new DataSet();
da.Fill(dataset);

chart1.DataSource = dataset;  
chart1.Series[0].XValueMember = "LanguageCode";
chart1.Series[0].YValueMembers = "DisplayName";
// Insert code for additional chart formatting here.
chart1.DataBind();

Ready to get started?

Connect to live data from Google Translate with the API Driver

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