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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for SuiteCRM

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

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

Create a SuiteCRM-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT SuiteCRM Data from the Blazor App

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

   The User and Password properties must be set to valid SuiteCRM user credentials. Additionally, specify the URL to the SuiteCRM application, for example http://suite.crm.com.

   Note that retrieving SuiteCRM metadata can be expensive. It is advised that you store the metadata locally as described in the Caching Metadata section of the data provider help documentation.

   For example: URL=http://mySuiteCRM.com;User=myUser;Password=myPassword;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.SuiteCRM;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (SuiteCRMConnection connection = new SuiteCRMConnection(
                   "URL=http://mySuiteCRM.com;User=myUser;Password=myPassword;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Name, Industry FROM Accounts";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     SuiteCRMDataAdapter dataAdapter = new SuiteCRMDataAdapter(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 SuiteCRM data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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