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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Power BI XMLA

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

Install the Power BI XMLA ADO.NET Data Provider from the CData website or from NuGet. Search NuGet for "Power BI XMLA ADO.NET Data Provider."

Create a Power BI XMLA-Connected Blazor App

Start by creating a Blazor project that references the CData ADO.NET Provider for Power BI XMLA

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

SELECT Power BI XMLA Data from the Blazor App

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

   By default, use Azure AD to connect to Microsoft Power BI XMLA. Azure AD is Microsoft’s multi-tenant, cloud-based directory and identity management service. It is user-based authentication that requires that you set AuthScheme to AzureAD.

   For more information on other authentication schemes, refer to the Help documentation.

   For example: AuthScheme=AzureAD

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.PowerBIXMLA;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (PowerBIXMLAConnection connection = new PowerBIXMLAConnection(
                   "AuthScheme=AzureAD"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Country, Education FROM Customer WHERE Country = 'Australia'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     PowerBIXMLADataAdapter dataAdapter = new PowerBIXMLADataAdapter(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 Power BI XMLA data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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