DataBind Charts to ServiceDesk Plus Data

DataBinding facilitates two-way interaction with data through UI controls. Using the CData ADO.NET Provider for ServiceDesk Plus streamlines the process of binding ServiceDesk Plus data to Windows Forms and Web controls within Visual Studio. In this article, we will demonstrate using wizards to establish a binding between ServiceDesk Plus 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 ServiceDesk Plus, follow the steps outlined below using the Data Source Configuration Wizard. Within the wizard, you'll have the option to choose the specific ServiceDesk Plus 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 ServiceDesk Plus Data Source.

   Below is a typical connection string:

   Profile=C:\profiles\ServiceDeskPlus.apip;ProfileSettings="Portal=itdesk;Domain=.in;Scope=SDPOnDemand.requests.READ SDPOnDemand.problems.READ SDPOnDemand.assets.READ SDPOnDemand.projects.READ";AuthScheme=OAuth;OAuthClientId=your_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=your_client_secret;

   Using OAuth Authentication

   ServiceDeskPlus uses Zoho OAuth 2.0 for secure authentication. To set up OAuth access:

   1. Register your application in the Zoho Developer Console at https://api-console.zoho.com
   2. Configure your redirect URI to match your application setup
   3. Note your Client ID and Client Secret from the application settings

   After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

   • AuthScheme: Set this to OAuth.
   • OAuthClientId: Set this to your Zoho application Client ID.
   • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to your Zoho application Client Secret.
   • Scope: Set this to the required ServiceDeskPlus permissions (default includes read access to requests, problems, assets, and projects).
   • Domain: Set this to your ServiceDeskPlus domain
   • Portal: Set this to your ServiceDeskPlus portal

   Example Connection String

   Profile=C:\profiles\ServiceDeskPlus.apip;ProfileSettings="Portal=itdesk;Domain=.in;Scope=SDPOnDemand.requests.READ SDPOnDemand.problems.READ SDPOnDemand.assets.READ SDPOnDemand.projects.READ";AuthScheme=OAuth;OAuthClientId=your_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=your_client_secret;
   

   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.

   
5. Choose the database objects you want to work with. This example uses the AnnouncementComments 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 and the y-axis to .

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 ServiceDesk Plus data. Run the chart to display the current data.

Code Walk-through

DataBinding to ServiceDesk Plus data requires only a few lines of code and can be completed in three easy steps.

1. Connect to ServiceDesk Plus.
2. Create the APIDataAdapter 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:

APIConnection conn = new APIConnection("Profile=C:\profiles\ServiceDeskPlus.apip;ProfileSettings="Portal=itdesk;Domain=.in;Scope=SDPOnDemand.requests.READ SDPOnDemand.problems.READ SDPOnDemand.assets.READ SDPOnDemand.projects.READ";AuthScheme=OAuth;OAuthClientId=your_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=your_client_secret;");
APICommand comm = new APICommand("SELECT ,  FROM AnnouncementComments WHERE AnnouncementId = '12345'", conn);
APIDataAdapter da = new APIDataAdapter(comm);
DataSet dataset = new DataSet();
da.Fill(dataset);

chart1.DataSource = dataset;  
chart1.Series[0].XValueMember = "";
chart1.Series[0].YValueMembers = "";
// Insert code for additional chart formatting here.
chart1.DataBind();