Data Access (How Do I in C# Express)

This topic links to Help about widely used data access tasks. To view other categories of popular tasks explained in Help, see How Do I in C# Express.

Note

If you are using Visual C# Express Edition, some of the Help links on this page may be unavailable, depending on the options that you chose during installation. For more information, see Troubleshooting Visual C# Express.

General

• How to: Install Sample Databases
  Provides steps to install a sample database such as the Northwind sample database, SQL Server Express, SQL Server Compact 3.5, or an Access version of Northwind. (With Visual C# Express Edition your database must be installed on the local computer.)

• Walkthrough: Creating a Simple Data Application
  Provides a step-by-step procedure to create a data application.

Connecting to Data in Visual Studio

• Connecting to Data in Visual Studio Overview
  Provides information about how to connect your application to data from many different sources, such as databases, Web services, and objects.

• Walkthrough: Connecting to Data in a Database
  Provides a procedure to connect your application to data in Visual Studio by using the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

• Walkthrough: Connecting to Data in a Web Service
  Provides a procedure to connect your application to data in a Web service by using the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

• Walkthrough: Connecting to Data in an Access Database
  Provides a procedure to connect your application to data in an Access database by using the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

Creating and Designing Typed Datasets

• How to: Create a Typed Dataset
  Explains how to create a typed dataset by using the Data Source Configuration Wizard or the Dataset Designer.

• Walkthrough: Creating a Dataset with the Dataset Designer
  Provides a procedure to create a dataset by using the Dataset Designer.

• Walkthrough: Creating a DataTable in the Dataset Designer
  Provides a procedure to create a data table by using the Dataset Designer.

• Walkthrough: Creating a Relationship between Data Tables
  Explains how to create two data tables without TableAdapters by using the Dataset.

TableAdapters

• TableAdapter Overview
  Provides an overview of TableAdapters which provides communication between your application and a database.

• Walkthrough: Creating a TableAdapter with Multiple Queries
  Provides a procedure to create a TableAdapter in a dataset by using the Data Source Configuration Wizard. The walkthrough will show you how to create a second query in the TableAdapter by using the TableAdapter Query Configuration Wizard in the Dataset Designer.

Filling Datasets and Executing Queries

• Filling Datasets and Querying Data Overview
  Explains how to execute SQL statements or stored procedures against a data source by using TableAdapters or command objects.

• Walkthrough: Filling a Dataset with Data
  Demonstrates how to create a dataset with one data table and fill it with data from the Customers table in the Northwind sample database.

• Walkthrough: Reading XML Data into a Dataset
  Demonstrates how to create a Windows application that will load XML data into a dataset.

Displaying Data on Windows Forms

• Displaying Data Overview
  Provides a summary of the tasks, objects, and dialog boxes involved in creating data-bound Windows applications.

• Walkthrough: Displaying Data on a Form in a Windows Application
  Provides a procedure to create a simple form that displays data from a single table in several individual controls.

• Walkthrough: Displaying Related Data on a Form in a Windows Application
  Provides a procedure to work with data that comes from more than one table, and often, data from related tables.

• Walkthrough: Creating a Form to Search Data in a Windows Application
  Shows how to create a query that returns customers in a specific city, and modify the user interface so that users can enter a city's name and press a button to execute the query.

• Walkthrough: Creating a Lookup Table
  Provides a procedure to display information from one table, depending on the value of a foreign-key field in another table.

Databinding

• Walkthrough: Creating a User Control that Supports Simple Data Binding
  Shows how to create a control that implements the DefaultBindingPropertyAttribute. This control is like a text box or check box and can contain one property that can be bound to data.

• Walkthrough: Creating a User Control that Supports Complex Data Binding
  Shows how to create a control that implements the ComplexBindingPropertiesAttribute. This control contains DataSource and DataMember properties that can be bound to data; similar to a DataGridView, or ListBox.

• Walkthrough: Creating a User Control that Supports Lookup Databinding
  Shows how to create a control that implements LookupBindingPropertiesAttribute. This control contains three properties that can be bound to data; similar to a ComboBox.

• Object Binding in Visual Studio
  Explains design-time tools for working with custom objects instead of datasets and Web services, as the data source in your application.

Editing Data in Datasets

• Editing Data in Datasets Overview
  Provides a table that contains links to the common tasks associated with editing and querying data in a dataset.

Validating Data

• Data Validation Overview
  Provides an overview of validating data, which confirms that the values being entered into data objects comply with the constraints in a dataset's schema, and also to the rules established for your application.

• Walkthrough: Adding Validation to a Dataset
  Explains how to use the ColumnChanging event to verify that an acceptable value is being entered into the record.

Saving Data

• Saving Data Overview
  Explains how writing information to the original data source is separate from modifying the data in the dataset.

• Concurrency Control in ADO.NET
  Explains common methods of concurrency control and specific ADO.NET features for handling concurrency errors.

• Walkthrough: Saving Data with the TableAdapter DBDirect Methods
  Provides detailed instructions to execute SQL statements directly against a database by using the DbDirect methods of a TableAdapter.

• Walkthrough: Handling a Concurrency Exception
  Contains a procedure to create a Windows application that illustrates catching a DBConcurrencyException, locating the row that caused the error, and one strategy for handling it.

Data Resources

• Data User Interface Elements
  Contains information about all the dialog boxes and wizards that you use when you design data access in your applications.

• ADO.NET Data Adapters
  Provides information about ADO.NET data-adapter objects and how to work with them in Visual Studio.

Language-Integrated Query (LINQ)

• Getting Started with LINQ in C#
  Provides background information about LINQ queries.

• Walkthrough: Writing Queries in C# (LINQ)
  Provides examples of the basic LINQ query clauses.

• LINQ Query Expressions (C# Programming Guide)
  Provides information about query expressions in C#, with examples and pointers to additional documentation.

Using LINQ to Objects

• How to: Query for Sentences that Contain a Specified Set of Words (LINQ)
  Shows how to split text files on arbitrary boundaries and performing queries against each part.

• How to: Find the Set Difference Between Two Lists (LINQ)
  Shows how to use the Except method to retrieve the items that are in one file but not the other.

• How to: Query for Characters in a String (LINQ)
  Shows how to treat a string as an IEnumerable object.

Using LINQ to SQL

• Walkthrough: Simple Object Model and Query (C#) (LINQ to SQL)
  Shows how to create an entity class and execute a simple query.

• Walkthrough: Manipulating Data (C#) (LINQ to SQL)
  Shows how to add, update, delete and modify data in a database.

• Walkthrough: Querying Across Relationships (C#) (LINQ to SQL)
  Shows how to query across tables that have been mapped into a hierarchical object relationship.

• Walkthrough: Simple Object Model and Query (C#) (LINQ to SQL)
  Introduces the object-relational mapping concepts in LINQ to SQL.

• Walkthrough: Using Only Stored Procedures (C#) (LINQ to SQL)
  Shows how to use stored procedures in LINQ to SQL.

• How to: Represent Primary Keys (LINQ to SQL)
  Shows how to represent primary keys in LINQ to SQL.

• How to: Display Generated SQL (LINQ to SQL)
  Shows how to display and view the SQL that is generated and issued to the database by the LINQ to SQL runtime.

• How to: Handle Composite Keys in Queries (LINQ to SQL)
  Shows how to sort and group by composite key values.

• How to: Directly Execute SQL Queries (LINQ to SQL)
  Shows how to issue SQL commands instead of a LINQ query.

Using LINQ to XML

• How to: Control Namespace Prefixes (C#) (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to control namespace prefixes in LINQ to XML.

• How to: Retrieve a Collection of Elements (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to retrieve a collection of elements in LINQ to XML.

• How to: Retrieve the Value of an Element (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to retrieve the value of an element in LINQ to XML.

• How to: Filter on Element Names (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to filter on elements in LINQ to XML.

• How to: Chain Axis Method Calls (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to retrieve elements at a specified depth.

• How to: Retrieve a Single Child Element (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to retrieve a single child element.

• How to: Retrieve a Collection of Attributes (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to retrieve a collection of attributes.

• How to: Retrieve a Single Attribute (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to retrieve a single attribute.

• How to: Retrieve the Value of an Attribute (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to retrieve the value of an attribute.

• How to: Project a New Type (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to use a query to output a type that differs from the input type.

• How to: Join Two Collections (C#) (LINQ to XML)
  Shows how to join two XML files or streams into one.

Using LINQ to DataSet

• Loading Data Into a DataSet
  Describes how to load data into a dataset.

• Single-Table Queries (LINQ to DataSet)
  Describes how to perform queries against a single table in a dataset.

• Cross-Table Queries (LINQ to DataSet)
  Describes how to perform queries across multiple tables in a dataset.

• Querying Typed DataSets
  Describes how to perform queries against typed datasets.

• LINQ to DataSet Examples
  Provides many examples of how to perform various query operations such as restriction, projection, ordering, partitioning, and so on.

Work with Microsoft SQL Server Compact 3.5

• How to: Add a SQL Server Compact 3.5 Database to a Project
  Describes how to add a new or existing SQL Server Compact 3.5 database to a Windows-based application.

• How to: Deploy a SQL Server Compact 3.5 Database with an Application
  Describes how to configure deployment for a Windows-based application that includes a SQL Server Compact 3.5 database.

• Walkthrough: Adding a SQL Server Compact 3.5 Database to an Application and Deploying it
  Provides step-by-step details for incorporating a SQL Server Compact 3.5 database in a Windows-based application and configuring the application for deployment.

Creating SQL Server Objects in Managed Code

• SQL Server Projects
  Explains how to use .NET Framework languages and the Transact-SQL programming language to create database objects such as stored procedures and triggers, and to retrieve and update data for Microsoft SQL Server databases.

• Walkthrough: Creating a Stored Procedure in Managed Code
  Provides step-by-step instructions for the following:

  • Creating a stored procedure in managed code.

  • Deploying the stored procedure to a SQL Server database.

  • Creating a script to test the stored procedure on the database.

  • Query data in the database to confirm that the stored procedure executed correctly.

Object Relational Designer (O/R Designer)

• O/R Designer Overview
  Explains what the O/R Designer is and provides information about the tasks you can accomplish with it.

• How to: Add LINQ to SQL Classes to a Project (O/R Designer)
  Describes how to add an empty LINQ to SQL file to a project.

• How to: Create LINQ to SQL Classes Mapped to Tables and Views (O/R Designer)
  Describes how to create entity classes that are mapped to tables and views in a database.

• How to: Create DataContext Methods Mapped to Stored Procedures and Functions (O/R Designer)
  Describes how to create DataContext methods that run stored procedures or functions when they are called.

• How to: Assign Stored Procedures to Perform Updates, Inserts, and Deletes (O/R Designer)
  Describes how to configure a DataContext method to use stored procedures when saving data from entity classes back to a database.

• How to: Turn Pluralization On and Off (O/R Designer)
  Describes how to turn on and off the automatic renaming of classes that are added to the O/R Designer.

• How to: Configure Inheritance by Using the O/R Designer
  Describes how to configure entity classes by using single-table inheritance with the O/R Designer.

• Walkthrough: Creating LINQ to SQL Classes (O/R Designer)
  Provides step-by-step instructions for designing entity classes by using the O/R Designer and for displaying data on a Windows Form.

• Walkthrough: Creating LINQ to SQL Classes by Using Single-Table Inheritance (O/R Designer)
  Provides step-by-step instructions for configuring entity classes by using single-table inheritance with the O/R Designer.

Other Resources

These Web sites are excellent resources for finding more information, seeing what other Express users are doing, and stay in touch as Visual C# Express grows.

• Visual C# Developer Center
  Serves as a central location for information about Visual C# Express Edition. Includes videos, new tools, and other downloads.

• Beginner Developer Learning Center
  Serves as a central location for learning materials for the beginner developer. Includes video tutorials, articles, the How-To Reference Library, and Kid's Corner.

• Coding4Fun
  Includes lots of articles and coding tips for the Visual C# Express developer.

See Also

Concepts

How Do I in C# Express