Custom Data provider example

Development model: MVC Portal Engine
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Customization of the data provider allows you to implement your own database connector.

You cannot modify the data provider in the App_Code folder. The customizations must be added as part of a new assembly, which you then need to register via the CMSDataProviderAssembly web.config key.

Custom data providers are not intended for accessing non-Microsoft SQL Server database engines. They only allow you to modify how queries are executed against the Microsoft SQL Server.

Customizing MVC projects

If you are utilizing the MVC development model, also deploy the assembly containing your custom provider to the separate MVC application. This ensures that the customization applies when loading or modifying data in the live site application.

Adding the custom data provider assembly

  1. Open your Kentico solution in Visual Studio.

  2. Add a new Class Library project to the Kentico solution, for example named CustomDataProvider.

  3. Add references to the required Kentico libraries (DLLs) for the new project:

    1. Right-click the project and select Add -> Reference.

    2. Select the Browse tab of the Reference manager dialog, click Browse and navigate to the Lib folder of your Kentico web project.

    3. Add references to the following libraries:

      • CMS.Base.dll
      • CMS.Core.dll
      • CMS.DataEngine.dll
      • CMS.Helpers.dll

  4. Reference the CustomDataProvider project from the Kentico web project (CMSApp or CMS).

  5. Open your Kentico program files directory (by default C:\Program Files\Kentico\<version>) and expand the CodeSamples\CustomizationSamples\CustomDataProvider subfolder.

  6. Copy the following files into the CustomDataProvider directory in your web project:

    • DataConnection.cs
    • DataProvider.cs
    • SqlGenerator.cs
    • TableManager.cs

  7. Include the new files into the CustomDataProvider project in Visual Studio:

    1. Expand the CustomDataProvider project in the Solution Explorer.
    2. Click Show all files at the top of the Solution Explorer.
    3. Select the new files while holding the Ctrl key.
    4. Right-click one of the files and select Include in Project.

  8. Edit the copied files and rename the namespaces to exactly match the assembly name of your custom project (CustomDataProvider in this example).

  9. Build the CustomDataProvider project (Build the entire solution on web application projects).

The CustomDataProvider project is now integrated into your application. By default, the classes in the custom data provider are identical to the ones used by default, but you can modify them according to your own requirements.

Registering the custom data provider

  1. Edit your application’s web.config file.

  2. Add the following key to the configuration/appSettings section:

    


 <add key="CMSDataProviderAssembly" value="CustomDataProvider"/>

The system loads the DataProvider class from the assembly specified as the value of the CMSDataProviderAssembly key.

Your application now uses the custom data provider for handling of database operations.