Data Binding Overview
The Telerik UI for ASP.NET Core Chat provides flexible data binding capabilities that allow you to populate the chat with conversation data from various sources. You can choose the appropriate binding method based on your application architecture and data requirements.
The default casing for JSON strings in ASP.NET Core is camelCase. The Telerik UI components that are data-bound depend on PascalCase formatted response from the server. If the JSON serialization isn't configured properly, the UI components will display wrong data. To find out how to configure the application to return the data in Pascal-case, refer to the JSON Serialization article.
Data Binding Approaches
The Chat supports the following data binding methods:
Local Data Binding
Bind the Chat to a local dataset by passing an arbitrary model directly within the boundaries of the component. This approach is optimal for:
- Pre-loaded conversation history or messages.
- Static chat scenarios with predefined conversations.
- Demo or testing environments with sample data.
For detailed implementation instructions, see Local Data Binding.
Remote Data Binding
Connect the Chat to a remote endpoint using AJAX operations. This enables:
- Real-time message synchronization with the server.
- Dynamic loading of conversation history.
- Integration with live chat services and messaging APIs.
For more information and examples, refer to the Remote Data Binding documentation.
Data Binding in Razor Pages
You can seamlessly integrate the Chat component into Razor Pages applications. All the data binding approaches described above can be configured within Razor Pages scenarios.
The component supports both HtmlHelper and TagHelper syntax, and allows you to send the anti-forgery token when connecting to remote endpoints to ensure secure data operations.
For detailed implementation instructions, refer to the Chat in Razor Pages article.
Key Considerations
When selecting a data binding approach for the Chat, evaluate the following factors:
- Performance—Local binding offers faster initial rendering, while remote binding provides better performance with large datasets through on-demand loading.
- Data volume—Large datasets are better handled with remote binding to improve Chat responsiveness.
- Security—Remote binding provides better control over data access through server-side validation and authorization.
- Real-time requirements—Remote binding is essential for scenarios requiring live data updates.
- Maintenance—Local binding is simpler for static data, while remote binding offers more flexibility for evolving data requirements.