Summary

In this chapter, we have looked at the basic features of the SqlDataSource and data editing controls: the GridView, DetailsView, and FormView. Together these provide a simple, declarative way of displaying and editing data, and with their rich customization they can provide a great deal of control over how that data is manipulated.

You saw that the SqlDataSource control provides commands for fetching data from the database and commands for sending data changes back to the database. The use of parameters allows the displayed data to be filtered according to external criteria, such as a user-selectable value, or stored values, such as those in the session.

The GridView utilizes the data features of the SqlDatsSource control to provide a grid with editing capabilities, while the DetailsView and FormView provide single-row display and editing. In the next chapter, you will see the ObjectDataSource control, which allows data to be accessed via custom classes. In Chapter 6, you will look at more advanced features of the data source and edit controls.