Chapter 20. Strongly Typed DataSets

Chapter 20. Strongly Typed DataSets

In This Chapter

• Introduction to the Typed DataSet

• Connecting Typed DataSets to Live Data

• Annotating a Typed DataSet

• Extending a Typed DataSet Using Partial Classes

So far in this book you have been exposed to many different aspects of data access using ADO.NET. One of the core pieces of ADO.NET is the DataSet, an in-memory representation of relational data that can contain multiple related tables, each with primary and foreign keys. DataSets also let you perform queries on the data contained within them, as well persisting that data in XML format. Using a DataAdapter, you can synchronize data contained in a DataSet with data stored in a back-end data source such as SQL Server or Oracle.

This chapter introduces you to a special kind of DataSet, the typed DataSet. You will learn the basics of working with typed DataSets, as well as how to use functionality new to Visual Studio 2005 and .NET 2.0 to connect those DataSets to live data sources using TableAdapter classes. Finally, you'll see how to tailor the member and method names of your typed DataSets to increase their readability and ease of use as well as how to extend the DataSet functionality using the new C# 2.0 partial classes.