.Net and Databases

.Net Database support and information

[xgene]

What is ADO, how does it differ from other databases (SQL, Access)?

Is there a software program you need to purchase to use ADO?

[andrey_sea]

1. ADO is free.
2. ADO is a way to talk to a database (SQL Server, Access)
3. ADO is not new to .NET it has been around for a while, but .NET features a completely new version of ADO.NET, which is a disconnected model.

To use old ADO you would need to download and install MDAC - Microsoft Data Access Components in addition to installing .NET framework.

[Xoc]

If you are used to ADO, I suggest that you forget everything you learned when you switch to ADO.NET. It has a very different model for how it works. It's designed for disconnected access to the server: You connect, get your data, disconnect, work with it, reconnect and upload your changes. The objects, methods, and concepts are different.

[andrey_sea]

Xoc,

You are right it is very different, for one you no longer have a recordset in ADO.NET and you have a bunch of special new objects. They made a separation of OLE DB and SQL Server database access objects, SQL server has its own special objects to access SQL Server 7+ which are faster than OLE DB access objects.

For all practical purposes ADO.NET should not be even called ADO, the only similarities I see is that they still have Connection and Command objects...