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Navigating DataTables

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The DataTableReader obtains the contents of one or more DataTable objects in the form of one or more read-only, forward-only result sets.

A DataTableReader may contain multiple result sets if it is created by using the CreateDataReader method. When there is more than one result set, the NextResult method advances the cursor to the next result set. This is a forward-only process. It is not possible to return to a previous result set.

Example

In the following example, the TestConstructor method creates two DataTable instances. In order to demonstrate this constructor for the DataTableReader class, the sample creates a new DataTableReader based on an array that contains the two DataTables, and performs a simple operation, printing the contents from the first few columns to the console window.

static void TestConstructor()
{
    // Create two data adapters, one for each of the two
    // DataTables to be filled.
    DataTable customerDataTable = GetCustomers();
    DataTable productDataTable = GetProducts();

    // Create the new DataTableReader.
    using (DataTableReader reader = new(
               new DataTable[] { customerDataTable, productDataTable }))
    {
        // Print the contents of each of the result sets.
        do
        {
            PrintColumns(reader);
        } while (reader.NextResult());
    }

    Console.WriteLine("Press Enter to finish.");
    Console.ReadLine();
}

static DataTable GetCustomers()
{
    // Create sample Customers table, in order
    // to demonstrate the behavior of the DataTableReader.
    DataTable table = new();

    // Create two columns, ID and Name.
    DataColumn idColumn = table.Columns.Add("ID", typeof(int));
    table.Columns.Add("Name", typeof(string));

    // Set the ID column as the primary key column.
    table.PrimaryKey = new DataColumn[] { idColumn };

    table.Rows.Add(new object[] { 1, "Mary" });
    table.Rows.Add(new object[] { 2, "Andy" });
    table.Rows.Add(new object[] { 3, "Peter" });
    table.Rows.Add(new object[] { 4, "Russ" });
    return table;
}

static DataTable GetProducts()
{
    // Create sample Products table, in order
    // to demonstrate the behavior of the DataTableReader.
    DataTable table = new();

    // Create two columns, ID and Name.
    DataColumn idColumn = table.Columns.Add("ID", typeof(int));
    table.Columns.Add("Name", typeof(string));

    // Set the ID column as the primary key column.
    table.PrimaryKey = new DataColumn[] { idColumn };

    table.Rows.Add(new object[] { 1, "Wireless Network Card" });
    table.Rows.Add(new object[] { 2, "Hard Drive" });
    table.Rows.Add(new object[] { 3, "Monitor" });
    table.Rows.Add(new object[] { 4, "CPU" });
    return table;
}

static void PrintColumns(DataTableReader reader)
{
    // Loop through all the rows in the DataTableReader
    while (reader.Read())
    {
        for (var i = 0; i < reader.FieldCount; i++)
        {
            Console.Write(reader[i] + " ");
        }
        Console.WriteLine();
    }
}

Private Sub TestConstructor()
    ' Create two data adapters, one for each of the two
    ' DataTables to be filled.
    Dim customerDataTable As DataTable = GetCustomers()
    Dim productDataTable As DataTable = GetProducts()

    ' Create the new DataTableReader.
    Using reader As New DataTableReader( _
       New DataTable() {customerDataTable, productDataTable})

        ' Print the contents of each of the result sets.
        Do
            PrintColumns(reader)
        Loop While reader.NextResult()
    End Using

    Console.WriteLine("Press Enter to finish.")
    Console.ReadLine()

End Sub

Private Function GetCustomers() As DataTable
    ' Create sample Customers table, in order
    ' to demonstrate the behavior of the DataTableReader.
    Dim table As New DataTable

    ' Create two columns, ID and Name.
    Dim idColumn As DataColumn = table.Columns.Add("ID", GetType(Integer))
    table.Columns.Add("Name", GetType(String))

    ' Set the ID column as the primary key column.
    table.PrimaryKey = New DataColumn() {idColumn}

    table.Rows.Add(New Object() {1, "Mary"})
    table.Rows.Add(New Object() {2, "Andy"})
    table.Rows.Add(New Object() {3, "Peter"})
    table.Rows.Add(New Object() {4, "Russ"})
    Return table
End Function

Private Function GetProducts() As DataTable
    ' Create sample Products table, in order
    ' to demonstrate the behavior of the DataTableReader.
    Dim table As New DataTable

    ' Create two columns, ID and Name.
    Dim idColumn As DataColumn = table.Columns.Add("ID", GetType(Integer))
    table.Columns.Add("Name", GetType(String))

    ' Set the ID column as the primary key column.
    table.PrimaryKey = New DataColumn() {idColumn}

    table.Rows.Add(New Object() {1, "Wireless Network Card"})
    table.Rows.Add(New Object() {2, "Hard Drive"})
    table.Rows.Add(New Object() {3, "Monitor"})
    table.Rows.Add(New Object() {4, "CPU"})
    Return table
End Function

Private Sub PrintColumns( _
   ByVal reader As DataTableReader)

    ' Loop through all the rows in the DataTableReader.
    Do While reader.Read()
        For i As Integer = 0 To reader.FieldCount - 1
            Console.Write(reader(i).ToString() & " ")
        Next
        Console.WriteLine()
    Loop
End Sub

See also