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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Zoho CRM

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

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

Create a Zoho CRM-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Zoho CRM Data from the Blazor App

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

   The connector is already registered with Zoho CRM as an OAuth application. As such, OAuth Credentials are embedded by default. If you would prefer to use your own custom OAuth app, see the Custom Credentials section in the Help documentation.

   For example: InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;

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

    @page "/"
    @using System.Data;
    @using System.Data.CData.ZohoCRM;
    
    <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
    
    Welcome to your Data app.
    
    <div class="row">
    <div class="col-12">
    
    @using (ZohoCRMConnection connection = new ZohoCRMConnection(
    "InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;"))
    {
    var sql = "SELECT Account_Name, Annual_Revenue FROM Accounts";
    var results = new DataTable();
    
    ZohoCRMDataAdapter dataAdapter = new ZohoCRMDataAdapter(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 CRM data as an HTML table in the Blazor app. 👁 Query Zoho CRM from Blazor app.
   

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