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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for SAP Ariba Source

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

Install the SAP Ariba Source ADO.NET Data Provider from the CData website or from NuGet. Search NuGet for "SAP Ariba Source ADO.NET Data Provider."

Create a SAP Ariba Source-Connected Blazor App

Start by creating a Blazor project that references the CData ADO.NET Provider for SAP Ariba Source

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

SELECT SAP Ariba Source Data from the Blazor App

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

   In order to connect with SAP Ariba Source, set the following:

   • API: Specify which API you would like the provider to retrieve SAP Ariba data from. Select the Supplier, Sourcing Project Management, or Contract API based on your business role (possible values are SupplierDataAPIWithPaginationV4, SourcingProjectManagementAPIV2, or ContractAPIV1).
   • DataCenter: The data center where your account's data is hosted.
   • Realm: The name of the site you want to access.
   • Environment: Indicate whether you are connecting to a test or production environment (possible values are TEST or PRODUCTION).

   If you are connecting to the Supplier Data API or the Contract API, additionally set the following:

   • User: Id of the user on whose behalf API calls are invoked.
   • PasswordAdapter: The password associated with the authenticating User.

   If you're connecting to the Supplier API, set ProjectId to the Id of the sourcing project you want to retrieve data from.

   Authenticating with OAuth

   After setting connection properties, you need to configure OAuth connectivity to authenticate.

   • Set AuthScheme to OAuthClient.
   • Register an application with the service to obtain the APIKey, OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret.

     For more information on creating an OAuth application, refer to the Help documentation.

   Automatic OAuth

   After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

   APIKey: The Application key in your app settings. OAuthClientId: The OAuth Client Id in your app settings. OAuthClientSecret: The OAuth Secret in your app settings.

   When you connect, the provider automatically completes the OAuth process:

   1. The provider obtains an access token from SAP Ariba and uses it to request data.
   2. The provider refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.
   3. The OAuth values are saved in memory relative to the location specified in OAuthSettingsLocation.

   For example: API=SupplierDataAPIWithPagination-V4;APIKey=wWVLn7WTAXrIRMAzZ6VnuEj7Ekot5jnU;Environment=SANDBOX;Realm=testRealm;AuthScheme=OAuthClient;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.SAPAribaSource;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (SAPAribaSourceConnection connection = new SAPAribaSourceConnection(
                   "API=SupplierDataAPIWithPagination-V4;APIKey=wWVLn7WTAXrIRMAzZ6VnuEj7Ekot5jnU;Environment=SANDBOX;Realm=testRealm;AuthScheme=OAuthClient;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT SMVendorID, Category FROM Vendors WHERE Region = 'USA'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     SAPAribaSourceDataAdapter dataAdapter = new SAPAribaSourceDataAdapter(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 SAP Ariba Source data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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