Working with a Typed DataSet

Along with late bound access to values through weakly typed variables, the DataSet provides access to data through a strongly typed metaphor. Tables and columns that are part of the DataSet can be accessed using user-friendly names and strongly typed variables.

A typed DataSet is a class that derives from a DataSet. As such, it inherits all the methods, events, and properties of a DataSet. Additionally, a typed DataSet provides strongly typed methods, events, and properties. This means you can access tables and columns by name, instead of using collection-based methods. Aside from the improved readability of the code, a typed DataSet also allows the Visual Studio .NET code editor to automatically complete lines as you type.

Additionally, the strongly typed DataSet provides access to values as the correct type at compile time. With a strongly typed DataSet, type mismatch errors are caught when the code is compiled rather than at run time.

In This Section

• Generating a Strongly Typed DataSet
  Describes how to create and use a strongly typed DataSet.
• Using Annotations with a Typed DataSet
  Describes how to annotate the XML Schema definition language (XSD) schema used to generate a strongly typed DataSet to give DataSet elements friendly names without altering the underlying schema.