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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Zoho Books

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

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

Create a Zoho Books-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Zoho Books Data from the Blazor App

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

   Zoho Books uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate using OAuth, create an app to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties. See the OAuth section of the Getting Started guide in the Help documentation for an authentication guide.

   For example: OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=myOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=https://localhost:33333;OrganizationId=MyOrganizationId;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.ZohoBooks;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (ZohoBooksConnection connection = new ZohoBooksConnection(
                   "OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=myOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=https://localhost:33333;OrganizationId=MyOrganizationId;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT InvoiceId, InvoiceNumber FROM INVOICES WHERE CustomerName = 'NewTech Industries'";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     ZohoBooksDataAdapter dataAdapter = new ZohoBooksDataAdapter(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 Zoho Books data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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