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

Getting Started

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Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Xero

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

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

Create a Xero-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Xero Data from the Blazor App

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

   To connect, set the Schema connection property in addition to any authentication values. Xero offers authentication for private applications, public applications, and partner applications. Set the XeroAppAuthentication property to PUBLIC, PRIVATE, or PARTNER, depending on the type of application configured. To connect from a private application, you will additionally need to set the OAuthAccessToken, OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, CertificateStoreType, CertificateStore, and CertificateStorePassword.

   To connect from a public or partner application, you can use the embedded OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL, or you can register an app to obtain your own OAuth values.

   See the "Getting Started" chapter of the help documentation for a guide to authenticating to Xero.

   For example: InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;

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

    @page "/"
    @using System.Data;
    @using System.Data.CData.Xero;
    
    <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
    
    Welcome to your Data app.
    
    <div class="row">
    <div class="col-12">
    
    @using (XeroConnection connection = new XeroConnection(
    "InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;"))
    {
    var sql = "SELECT Name, SUM(QuantityOnHand) FROM Items GROUP BY Name";
    var results = new DataTable();
    
    XeroDataAdapter dataAdapter = new XeroDataAdapter(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 Xero data as an HTML table in the Blazor app. 👁 Query Xero from Blazor app.
   

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