Pre-requisites

Basic awareness of .NET and VB.NET (eg gained via VBUG 'Introducing VB.NET'). An understanding of SQL and relational databases. Familiarity with 'classic' ADO

Course Benefits

ADO provides a powerful and flexible model for data access, and is fully useable in the .NET world. ADO.NET is an evolution of ADO designed for the loosely coupled, highly distributed applications that can be created with the .NET platform. A simple, unified programming model can be used for all data access scenarios - local, network and Internet.

After examining the basic concepts of ADO.NET, we compare it with 'classic' ADO. There is a thorough examination of the DataReader, DataSet and DataAdapter objects, and we show how to use ADO.NET data binding in Web and Windows Forms. Both the SQL and OLE DB Managed providers are used during the course.

You Will Learn How To:

Understand the purpose of ADO.NET
Learn how to use DataSets
Convert ADO experience into ADO.NET skills
Design and Build Data Access Layers for Web and Client Server Applications
C ontrol Database updates and transactions
Use Visual Studio.NET productivity tools for Data
Understand the relationship between ADO.NET and XML

Course Content

Introducing ADO.NET
ADO.NET Objectives and Architecture | Client Cursors and Server Cursors | Disconnected and Connected Data Programming | ADO.NET compared to 'classic' ADO | DataSets | Benefits of ADO.NET

Managed Providers
The SQL and OLE DB Managed Providers | Connection | Command and DataReader objects | DataAdapters | Parameterised Commands | Using Stored Procedures

DataSets
Working with DataSets | Loading DataSets using XML | Loading DataSets using Managed Providers | The DataSet Object Model, DataSet Navigation | Sorting and Filtering | DataViews | Using Data Relationships | Using Stored Procedures

Data Binding with ADO.NET
ADO.NET Data binding compared to classic ADO | Data binding | Binding to Windows Forms Binding to Web Forms | Using TableMappings

Updating Data Sources
Performing Updates using Command objects | Performing Updates using DataSets | Concurrency Issues when using DataSets and DataAdapters | Controlling the Order of Updates | Programming Custom Updates | Using Transactions

Visual Programming with ADO.NET
Using Server Explorer | Database Design Tools | Visual Data Objects

Typed DataSets
Benefits of Typed DataSets | Creating XML Schemas | Creating and Customising | Typed DataSets | Using Typed DataSets

Practical Sessions

• Using DataReaders
• Exploring the DataSet object model
• Data binding with the DataTable object
• Performing updates with the DataSet objecs
• Working with XML Documents
• Exploring the Visual Studio .NET visual data tools
• Dealing with concurrency issues
• Working with stored procedures
• Using transactions
• Using Typed DataSets