Database Access with Visual Basic .NET (3rd Edition)

Chapter 4. ADO.NET Data Providers

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Overview of ADO.NET

• Overview of .NET Data Provider Objects

• The Connection Object

• The Command Object

• The DataReader Object

• Using the Connection and Command Design-Time Components

• Other Data Provider Objects

Sometimes it seems that every time database developers turn around, Microsoft has a new and different data model for them to use to access databases. In this chapter we focus on the newest incarnation ADO.NET. We begin with an explanation (or our opinion) of the reason for this new database access model and whether it is, in fact, justified. We then provide an overview of the model and its architecture as a whole.

Our purpose here is to lay the groundwork for working with ADO.NET. In doing so we discuss its basic operations and take an in-depth look at some of the basic objects of an ADO.NET data provider the Connection, Command, Parameter, and DataReader objects. In Chapters 5, 6 and 7 we take a comprehensive look at the more advanced and exciting objects that ADO.NET provides, all of which revolve around the DataSet the central ADO.NET object.