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Chapter 18
Getting Started with ADO .NET
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
n Use the Data Source Configuration Wizard to establish a connection to a database
and build a dataset.
n Use the Dataset Designer and the Data Sources window to examine dataset members
and create bound objects on forms.
n Create datacentric applications by using dataset and data navigator objects.
n Use bound TextBox and MaskedTextBox controls to display database information on
a Windows form.
n Write SQL statements to filter and sort dataset information by using the Visual Studio
Query Builder tool.
In this chapter, you’ll take your first steps with ADO .NET and with datacentric applications.
You’ll use the Data Source Configuration Wizard to establish a connection to a Microsoft
Access database on your system, you’ll create a dataset that represents a subset of useful fields
and records from a database table, and you’ll use the Dataset Designer and Data Sources
window to examine dataset members and create bound objects on your forms. You’ll also
learn how to use TextBox and MaskedTextBox controls to present database information to your
user, and you’ll learn to write Structured Query Language (SQL) SELECT statements that filter
datasets (and therefore what your user sees and uses) in interesting ways.Database Programming with ADO .NET
A database is an organized collection of information stored in a file. You can create powerful
databases by using any of a variety of database products, including Access, Microsoft SQL
Server, and Oracle. You can also store and transmit database information by using Extensible
Markup Language (XML), a file format designed for exchanging structured data over the
Internet and in other settings.Creating and maintaining databases has become an essential task for all major corporations,
government institutions, nonprofit agencies, and most small businesses. Rich data resources—
for example, customer addresses, manufacturing inventories, account balances, employee
records, donor lists, and order histories—have become the lifeblood of the business world.