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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Salesforce CRM Analytics

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

Install the Salesforce CRM Analytics ADO.NET Data Provider from the CData website or from NuGet. Search NuGet for "Salesforce CRM Analytics ADO.NET Data Provider."

Create a Salesforce CRM Analytics-Connected Blazor App

Start by creating a Blazor project that references the CData ADO.NET Provider for Salesforce CRM Analytics

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

SELECT Salesforce CRM Analytics Data from the Blazor App

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

   Salesforce CRM Analytics uses the OAuth 2 authentication standard. Obtain the OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret by registering an app with Salesforce CRM Analytics.

   See the Getting Started section of the Help documentation for an authentication guide.

   Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

   If the connected Salesforce org has MFA enforcement enabled, set MFACode to the time-based one-time passcode (TOTP) generated by your authenticator app (such as Salesforce Authenticator or Google Authenticator). MFACode applies alongside the standard OAuth flow.

   For example: OAuthClientId=MyConsumerKey;OAuthClientSecret=MyConsumerSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:portNumber;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;MFACode=YourMFACode

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.SalesforceCRMAnalytics;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (SalesforceCRMAnalyticsConnection connection = new SalesforceCRMAnalyticsConnection(
                   "OAuthClientId=MyConsumerKey;OAuthClientSecret=MyConsumerSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:portNumber;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;MFACode=YourMFACode"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Name, CloseDate FROM Dataset_Opportunity";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     SalesforceCRMAnalyticsDataAdapter dataAdapter = new SalesforceCRMAnalyticsDataAdapter(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 Salesforce CRM Analytics data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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