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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for SAP BusinessObjects BI

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

Install the SAP BusinessObjects BI ADO.NET Data Provider from the CData website or from NuGet. Search NuGet for "SAP BusinessObjects BI ADO.NET Data Provider."

Create a SAP BusinessObjects BI-Connected Blazor App

Start by creating a Blazor project that references the CData ADO.NET Provider for SAP BusinessObjects BI

1. Create a Blazor project on Visual Studio.
👁 Create a Blazor app project.

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.SAPBusinessObjectsBI.dll, typically located at C:\Program Files\CData\CData ADO.NET Provider for SAP BusinessObjects BI\lib etstandard2.0).
👁 Reference ADO.NET for SAP BusinessObjects BI .dll in the Blazor app.

SELECT SAP BusinessObjects BI Data from the Blazor App

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

   To connect to your SAP Business Objects BI instance, you must set the following connection properties:

   • Url: set this to the rest API URL. After logging into the Central Management Console, choose 'Applications' from the combo box. Double-click on 'RESTful Web Service' and you'll see the access URL. By default it is, http://{Server-Name}:6405/biprws.
   • User: set this to the username of your instance.
   • Password: set this to the password of your instance.

   For example: User=username;Password=password;Url=http://myinstance:6405/biprws

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

    @page "/"
    @using System.Data;
    @using System.Data.CData.SAPBusinessObjectsBI;
    
    <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
    
    Welcome to your Data app.
    
    <div class="row">
    <div class="col-12">
    
    @using (SAPBusinessObjectsBIConnection connection = new SAPBusinessObjectsBIConnection(
    "User=username;Password=password;Url=http://myinstance:6405/biprws"))
    {
    var sql = "SELECT StoreName, TotalRevenue FROM MyCustomReport WHERE State = 'CA'";
    var results = new DataTable();
    
    SAPBusinessObjectsBIDataAdapter dataAdapter = new SAPBusinessObjectsBIDataAdapter(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 SAP BusinessObjects BI data as an HTML table in the Blazor app. 👁 Query SAP BusinessObjects BI from Blazor app.
   

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