A primary function of any database application is connecting to a data source and retrieving the data that it contains. The .NET Framework data providers of ADO.NET serve as a bridge between an application and a data source, allowing you to execute commands as well as to retrieve data by using a DataReader or a DataAdapter.
In This Section
- Connecting to Data Sources
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Describes the ADO.NET Connection object and how to use it to connect to a data source.
- Working with Connection Strings
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Describes various aspects of using connection strings including connection string keywords, security info, and storing and retrieving them.
- Working with Commands
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Describes the ADO.NET Command object and how to use it to execute commands and return results from a data source.
- Working with DataAdapters
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Describes the ADO.NET DataAdapter object and how to use it to retrieve data from a data source and populate tables within a DataSet.
- Working with DataReaders
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Describes the ADO.NET DataReader object and how to use it to retrieve a read-only, forward-only stream of data from a data source.
- Obtaining Schema Information from a Database
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Describes how to obtain available databases or catalogs, tables and views in a database, constraints that exist for tables, and other schema information from a data source.
Related Sections
See Also