DataBind Charts to EnterpriseDB Data

DataBinding facilitates two-way interaction with data through UI controls. Using the CData ADO.NET Provider for EnterpriseDB streamlines the process of binding EnterpriseDB data to Windows Forms and Web controls within Visual Studio. In this article, we will demonstrate using wizards to establish a binding between EnterpriseDB data and a chart that dynamically updates. Additionally, the code walk-through section will guide you through the creation of a chart using just 10 lines of code.

Binding Data to a Chart

DataBinding to a Chart consists of three steps: Instantiate the control, configure the data source, and databind.

Configure the Connection and Select Database Objects

To create a chart control and establish a connection to EnterpriseDB, follow the steps outlined below using the Data Source Configuration Wizard. Within the wizard, you'll have the option to choose the specific EnterpriseDB entities you wish to bind to.

1. In a Windows Forms project, drag and drop a Chart control from the toolbox to the form. In the Data section of the Chart properties, select DataSource and then select Add Project Data Source from the menu. 👁 Add a data source to be bound to the chart.
   
2. In the Data Source Configuration Wizard that appears, select Database -> Dataset.
3. In the Choose Your Data Connection step, click New Connection.

4. In the Add Connection dialog, click Change to select the CData EnterpriseDB Data Source.

   Below is a typical connection string:

   User=postgres;Password=admin;Database=postgres;Server=127.0.0.1;Port=5444

   The following connection properties are required in order to connect to data.

   • Server: The host name or IP of the server hosting the EnterpriseDB database.
   • Port: The port of the server hosting the EnterpriseDB database.

   You can also optionally set the following:

   • Database: The default database to connect to when connecting to the EnterpriseDB Server. If this is not set, the user's default database will be used.

   Connect Using Standard Authentication

   To authenticate using standard authentication, set the following:

   • User: The user which will be used to authenticate with the EnterpriseDB server.
   • Password: The password which will be used to authenticate with the EnterpriseDB server.

   Connect Using SSL Authentication

   You can leverage SSL authentication to connect to EnterpriseDB data via a secure session. Configure the following connection properties to connect to data:

   • SSLClientCert: Set this to the name of the certificate store for the client certificate. Used in the case of 2-way SSL, where truststore and keystore are kept on both the client and server machines.
   • SSLClientCertPassword: If a client certificate store is password-protected, set this value to the store's password.
   • SSLClientCertSubject: The subject of the TLS/SSL client certificate. Used to locate the certificate in the store.
   • SSLClientCertType: The certificate type of the client store.
   • SSLServerCert: The certificate to be accepted from the server.

   When you configure the connection, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

   👁 Connection properties for the selected data source in the Add Connection dialog. (Salesforce is shown.)
   
5. Choose the database objects you want to work with. This example uses the Orders table. 👁 Select database objects. (Salesforce is shown.)
   

DataBind

After adding the data source and selecting database objects, you can bind the objects to the chart. This example assigns the x-axis to ShipName and the y-axis to ShipCity.

1. In the Chart properties, click the button in the Series property to open the Series Collection Editor.
2. In the Series properties, select the columns you want for the x- and y-axes: Select columns from the menu in the XValueMember and YValueMember properties.

The chart is now databound to the EnterpriseDB data. Run the chart to display the current data. 👁 The chart, filled with data at run time.

Code Walk-through

DataBinding to EnterpriseDB data requires only a few lines of code and can be completed in three easy steps.

1. Connect to EnterpriseDB.
2. Create the EnterpriseDBDataAdapter to execute the query and create a DataSet to be filled with its results.
3. DataBind the result set to the chart.

Below is the complete code:

EnterpriseDBConnection conn = new EnterpriseDBConnection("User=postgres;Password=admin;Database=postgres;Server=127.0.0.1;Port=5444");
EnterpriseDBCommand comm = new EnterpriseDBCommand("SELECT ShipName, ShipCity FROM Orders WHERE ShipCountry = 'USA'", conn);
EnterpriseDBDataAdapter da = new EnterpriseDBDataAdapter(comm);
DataSet dataset = new DataSet();
da.Fill(dataset);

chart1.DataSource = dataset; 
chart1.Series[0].XValueMember = "ShipName";
chart1.Series[0].YValueMembers = "ShipCity";
// Insert code for additional chart formatting here.
chart1.DataBind();