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Relationships in Datasets

Visual Studio 2012

A dataset can contain related tables like a relational database. The object that facilitates a relationship between data tables is a DataRelation object. The following topics provide information about ADO.NET DataRelation objects, how to create them, and how to use them to work with data in related tables.

Note
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In This Section

Introduction to DataRelation Objects: Provides an overview of how datasets allow you to specify relationships between tables and how you can take advantage of these relationships.
How to: Create DataRelations with the Dataset Designer: Explains how to use the Dataset Designer to add a DataRelation object to a dataset.
How to: Access Records in Related DataTables: Explains how to programmatically return related records in a typed dataset with tables in a one-to-many relationship.
Walkthrough: Creating a Relationship between Data Tables: Provides step-by-step instructions for creating two data tables with the Dataset Designer and adding a relation between them.

Reference

DataRelation: Represents a parent/child relationship between two T:System.Data.DataTable objects.
GetChildRows: Gets the child rows of a T:System.Data.DataRow.
GetParentRow: Gets the parent rows of a T:System.Data.DataRow.
Rule: Indicates the action that occurs when a ForeignKeyConstraint is enforced.
Unique: Gets or sets a value indicating whether the values in each row of the column must be unique.
Constraint: Represents a constraint that can be enforced on one or more DataColumn objects.

Related Sections

Adding DataRelations (ADO.NET): Describes how to create relations between tables in a DataSet.
Navigating DataRelations (ADO.NET): Describes how to use the relations between tables in a DataSet to return the child or parent rows of a parent-child relationship.
Nesting DataRelations (ADO.NET): Discusses the importance of nested DataRelation objects when representing the contents of a DataSet as XML data, and describes how to create them.

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