Description

The course opens with an overview of ADO.NET and its relation to previous Microsoft data access technologies. It includes a discussion of ADO.NET architecture, main interfaces and classes, and programming with both the connected and disconnected models. The database for the case study is introduced. The next two chapters cover in detail Connection and Command objects, which are essential in both connected and disconnected database access scenarios. The following chapter covers DataReaders, which provide a fast, forward-only reading capability. Programming with DataReaders bears a close resemblance to programming with the vintage recordset object. Then the course focuses on the backbone of ADO.NET: DataSet and its related classes, such as DataAdapter, DataTable, DataRow, DataColumn, DataRelation, TableMappings and ColumnMappings. DataSet is able to handle multiple tables while remaining disconnected. It is eminently suited for building highly scalable applications for the Web. The close relationship between ADO.NET and XML is covered in detail. Transactions and concurrency are covered. Additional features of ADO.NET are covered, including asynchronous operations, multiple active result sets and bulk copy. The last chapter covers Language Integrated Query (LINQ) and Microsoft’s Entity Framework.