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

Install the CData ADO.NET Provider for MarkLogic

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

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

Create a MarkLogic-Connected Blazor App

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

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

SELECT MarkLogic Data from the Blazor App

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

   Set User, Password, and Server to the credentials for the MarkLogic account and the address of the server you want to connect to. You should also specify the REST API Port if you want to use a specific instance of a REST Server.

   For example: User='myusername';Password='mypassword';Server='http://marklogic';

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

         @page "/"
         @using System.Data;
         @using System.Data.CData.MarkLogic;
         
         <h1>Hello, world!</h1>
         
         Welcome to your Data app.
         
         <div class="row">
             <div class="col-12">
         
                 @using (MarkLogicConnection connection = new MarkLogicConnection(
                   "User='myusername';Password='mypassword';Server='http://marklogic';"))
                 {
                     var sql = "SELECT Name, TotalDue FROM Customer";
                     var results = new DataTable();
         
                     MarkLogicDataAdapter dataAdapter = new MarkLogicDataAdapter(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 MarkLogic data as an HTML table in the Blazor app.

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