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

Getting Started

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Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for Dynamics CRM

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

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

Create a Dynamics CRM-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT Dynamics CRM Data from the Blazor App

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

   The connection string options meet the authentication and connection requirements of different Dynamics CRM instances. To connect to your instance, set the User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, to valid Dynamics CRM user credentials and set the Url to a valid Dynamics CRM server organization root. Additionally, set the CRMVersion property to 'CRM2011+' or 'CRMOnline'. IFD configurations are supported as well; set InternetFacingDeployment to true.

   Additionally, you can provide the security token service (STS) or AD FS endpoint in the STSURL property. This value can be retrieved with the GetSTSUrl stored procedure. Office 365 users can connect to the default STS URL by simply setting CRMVersion.

   For example: User=myuseraccount;Password=mypassword;URL=https://myOrg.crm.dynamics.com/;CRM Version=CRM Online;

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.DynamicsCRM;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (DynamicsCRMConnection connection = new DynamicsCRMConnection(
                   "User=myuseraccount;Password=mypassword;URL=https://myOrg.crm.dynamics.com/;CRM Version=CRM Online;"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Contact.FirstName, SUM(Account.NumberOfEmployees) FROM Contact, Account GROUP BY Contact.FirstName";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     DynamicsCRMDataAdapter dataAdapter = new DynamicsCRMDataAdapter(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 Dynamics CRM data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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