Data Binding Overview

Besides processing, the primary reason for extracting information from a database is to display it for human consumption. Whether the information needs to be modified or simply viewed, it must be presented in a way that is easy for people to work with. Often this is in the form of graphical user interfaces, which structure information on the screen in a logical and pleasing manner.

Two primary .NET technologies for presenting data are Windows Forms and ASP.NET. Each technology contains libraries of controls that may be used for data presentation and editing. The process of connecting data sources with these controls is known as data binding. In .NET, data may be bound to individual controls, such as the TextBox, ComboBox, and Label, or it may be bound to DataGrids. Because data binding is such a large and important topic, this book dedicates an entire chapter to it.