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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Instagram

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

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

Create a Instagram-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Instagram Data from the Blazor App

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

   Instagram uses the OAuth 2 authentication standard. You will need to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL by registering an app with Instagram. See the help documentation for a guide.

   For example: OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:portNumber;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.Instagram;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (InstagramConnection connection = new InstagramConnection(
                   "OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:portNumber;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Link, LikesCount FROM Media";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     InstagramDataAdapter dataAdapter = new InstagramDataAdapter(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 Instagram data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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