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

Getting Started

---

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Smartsheet

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

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

Create a Smartsheet-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Smartsheet Data from the Blazor App

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

   Smartsheet uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate using OAuth, you will need to register an app to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties.

   However, for testing purposes you can instead use the Personal Access Token you get when you create an application; set this to the OAuthAccessToken connection property.

   For example: OAuthClientId=MyOauthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.Smartsheet;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (SmartsheetConnection connection = new SmartsheetConnection(
                   "OAuthClientId=MyOauthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT TaskName, Progress FROM Sheet_Event_Plan_Budget";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     SmartsheetDataAdapter dataAdapter = new SmartsheetDataAdapter(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 Smartsheet data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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