DataBind Charts to Salesforce Data Cloud Data



Use the standard ADO.NET procedures for databinding to provide bidirectional access to Salesforce Data Cloud 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 Salesforce Data Cloud streamlines the process of binding Salesforce Data Cloud data to Windows Forms and Web controls within Visual Studio. In this article, we will demonstrate using wizards to establish a binding between Salesforce Data Cloud 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 Salesforce Data Cloud, follow the steps outlined below using the Data Source Configuration Wizard. Within the wizard, you'll have the option to choose the specific Salesforce Data Cloud 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 Salesforce Data Cloud Data Source.

    Salesforce Data Cloud supports authentication via the OAuth standard.

    OAuth

    Set AuthScheme to OAuth.

    Desktop Applications

    CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies authentication at the desktop.

    You can also authenticate from the desktop via a custom OAuth application, which you configure and register at the Salesforce Data Cloud console. For further information, see Creating a Custom OAuth App in the Help documentation.

    Before you connect, set these properties:

    • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
    • OAuthClientId (custom applications only): The Client ID assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
    • OAuthClientSecret (custom applications only): The Client Secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.

    When you connect, the driver opens Salesforce Data Cloud's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

    The driver then completes the OAuth process as follows:

    • Extracts the access token from the callback URL.
    • Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
    • Saves OAuth values in OAuthSettingsLocation so that they persist across connections.
    • For other OAuth methods, including Web Applications and Headless Machines, refer to the Help documentation.

      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.

    • Choose the database objects you want to work with. This example uses the Account 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 [Account ID] and the y-axis to [Account Name].

  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 Salesforce Data Cloud data. Run the chart to display the current data.

Code Walk-through

DataBinding to Salesforce Data Cloud data requires only a few lines of code and can be completed in three easy steps.

  1. Connect to Salesforce Data Cloud.
  2. Create the SalesforceDataCloudDataAdapter 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:

SalesforceDataCloudConnection conn = new SalesforceDataCloudConnection("InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH"); SalesforceDataCloudCommand comm = new SalesforceDataCloudCommand("SELECT [Account ID], [Account Name] FROM Account WHERE EmployeeCount > 250", conn); SalesforceDataCloudDataAdapter da = new SalesforceDataCloudDataAdapter(comm); DataSet dataset = new DataSet(); da.Fill(dataset); chart1.DataSource = dataset; chart1.Series[0].XValueMember = "[Account ID]"; chart1.Series[0].YValueMembers = "[Account Name]"; // Insert code for additional chart formatting here. chart1.DataBind();

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