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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for SFTP

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

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

Create a SFTP-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT SFTP Data from the Blazor App

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

   SFTP can be used to transfer files to and from SFTP servers using the SFTP Protocol. To connect, specify the RemoteHost;. service uses the User and Password and public key authentication (SSHClientCert). Choose an SSHAuthMode and specify connection values based on your selection.

   Set the following connection properties to control the relational view of the file system:

   • RemotePath: Set this to the current working directory.
   • TableDepth: Set this to control the depth of subfolders to report as views.
   • FileRetrievalDepth: Set this to retrieve files recursively and list them in the Root table.
   Stored Procedures are available to download files, upload files, and send protocol commands. See gdatamodel for more on using SQL to interact with the server.

   For example: RemoteHost=MyFTPServer;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.SFTP;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (SFTPConnection connection = new SFTPConnection(
                   "RemoteHost=MyFTPServer;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Filesize, Filename FROM MyDirectory WHERE FilePath = /documents/doc.txt";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     SFTPDataAdapter dataAdapter = new SFTPDataAdapter(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 SFTP data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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