Connect to Office 365 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 Office 365 can be used with standard ADO.NET interfaces, such as LINQ and Entity Framework, to interact with live Office 365 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 Office 365 using standard SQL queries.

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Office 365

CData ADO.NET Providers allow users to access Office 365 just like they would access SQL Server, using simple SQL queries.

Install the Office 365 ADO.NET Data Provider from the CData website or from NuGet. Search NuGet for "Office 365 ADO.NET Data Provider."

Create a Office 365-Connected Blazor App

Start by creating a Blazor project that references the CData ADO.NET Provider for Office 365

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.Office365.dll, typically located at C:\Program Files\CData\CData ADO.NET Provider for Office 365\lib etstandard2.0).

SELECT Office 365 Data from the Blazor App

1. Open the Index.razor file from the Project page.
2. In a Office365Connection object, set the connection string:

   Office 365 uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate requests, you will need to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and OAuthCallbackURL by registering an app with Office 365. See the "Getting Started" chapter of the help documentation for a guide to using OAuth.

   For example: OAuthClientId=MyApplicationId;OAuthClientSecret=MyAppKey;OAuthCallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;

3. The code below creates a simple Blazor app for displaying Office 365 data, using standard SQL to query Office 365 just like SQL Server.

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.Office365;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (Office365Connection connection = new Office365Connection(
                   "OAuthClientId=MyApplicationId;OAuthClientSecret=MyAppKey;OAuthCallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Name, Size FROM Files ORDER BY Size";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     Office365DataAdapter dataAdapter = new Office365DataAdapter(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 Office 365 data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

   At this point, you have a Office 365-connected Blazor app, capable of working with live Office 365 data just like you would work with a SQL Server instance. Download a free, 30-day trial and start working with live Office 365 data in your Blazor apps today.