Data Access (How Do I in Visual Basic Express)

This page links to Help on widely used Visual Basic data tasks. To view other categories of popular tasks covered in Help, see How Do I in Visual Basic Express.

In Visual Basic Express

Visual Basic Express Edition includes tools for adding and connecting data to your application.

• Storing and Accessing Data
  Provides information on how to store data with your application.

• Creating Your First Database
  Explains how to create a database to store data.

• Getting the Information You Need: Connecting to an Existing Database
  Explains how to connect your program to an existing database.

• Showing Information to the User: Displaying Data in Your User Interface
  Explains how to create a basic user interface for viewing the data in your local database.

• Adding or Modifying Your Records: Updating Data
  Explains how to create a data entry form to update data in your local database.

Samples

• Visual Basic Express Sample Applications
  These samples demonstrate Visual Basic data access concepts.

MSDN Express Library for Visual Basic Express

These are some of the more in-depth topics the Library offers to help you as you explore adding data to your application. You need to have the MSDN Express Library installed or have access to MSDN Online library.

• Accessing Data in Visual Basic Applications
  Visual Basic includes several new features to assist you in developing applications that access data.

• Displaying Data Overview
  Display data to users of your application by binding data to controls on a form. Create data-bound controls by dragging items from the Data Sources window onto a Windows Form.

• Data Sources Overview
  Data sources represent the data available to your application and are displayed in the Data Sources window**.**

• TableAdapter Overview
  TableAdapters provide communication between your application and a database.

• Walkthrough: Displaying Related Data on a Form in a Windows Application
  Provides step-by-step details on displaying data from two related tables and displaying the data on a Windows Form.

• Validating Data
  Datasets provide specific events that are raised as values in data rows change. Event handlers can be created to validate these changes based on your particular application requirements.

In General

• What's New in Data
  Provides information and links to new data features for client data applications.

• Getting Started with Data Access
  Provides links to topics on creating applications that work with data, using Visual Studio.

• Creating Data Applications with Visual Studio
  Describes the process of creating a data application in Visual Studio.

• Walkthrough: Creating a Simple Data Application
  Provides step-by-step instructions for creating a basic data-access application.

• Data Access for Visual Basic 6.0 Users
  Describes changes to data access and data tools.

• ADO.NET
  Provides links to topics that explain the data-access features in the .NET Framework.

Display Data on Windows Forms

• Displaying Data Overview
  Describes the process of displaying data on Windows Forms.

• Data Sources Window
  Describes how to create data-bound forms by dragging items from the Data Sources window.

• How to: Bind Data to Existing Controls
  Describes how to bind an existing control to a specific field of data.

• How to: Display Data in a Windows Forms DataGridView Control
  Describes how to present data in a DataGridView on Windows Forms.

• How to: Display Data in Individual Windows Forms Controls
  Describes how to present data in individual controls on a Windows Forms.

• How to: Display Related Data in a Windows Application
  Describes how to present data from related tables in a dataset on Windows Forms.

• How to: Add a Parameterized Query to a Form in a Windows Application
  Describes how to modify an existing Windows Form to include controls to input parameters and execute a query.

• How to: Set the Control to be Created when Dragging from the Data Sources Window
  Describes how to set the control that will be created when dragging items from the Data Sources window onto a Windows Form.

• How to: Add Custom Controls to the Data Sources Window
  Describes how to modify the list of controls available for items in the Data Sources window, and how to add custom controls to the list.

• How to: Open the Data Sources Window
  Describes how to open the Data Sources window in the Visual Studio IDE.

• Walkthrough: Displaying Data on a Form in a Windows Application
  Provides step-by-step details on querying data from a database and displaying the data on a Windows Form.

• Walkthrough: Displaying Related Data on a Form in a Windows Application
  Provides step-by-step details on displaying data from two related tables and displaying the data on a Windows Form.

• Walkthrough: Creating a Form to Search Data in a Windows Application
  Provides step-by-step details on creating a Windows Form that searches for records in a database based on values input by a user.

• Walkthrough: Creating a Lookup Table
  Provides step-by-step details on displaying data from one table based on the data selected in another table.

• Walkthrough: Passing Data Between Forms in a Windows Application
  Provides step-by-step details on passing values from one form to a second form in an application.

• Walkthrough: Creating a User Control that Supports Simple Data Binding
  Provides step-by-step details on creating a custom control with attributes specific to working with Windows Forms data binding.

Connect Applications to Data

• Connecting to Data in Visual Studio Overview
  Provides information about connecting your application to data with design time tools and ADO.NET connection objects, using Visual Studio.

• Data Source Configuration Wizard
  Provides information on connecting to data and creating data sources by running the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

• How to: Save a Connection String
  Describes how to save connection information in your application.

• How to: Edit a Connection String
  Describes how to edit existing connection information previously saved in your application.

• How to: Connect to Data in an Object
  Describes how to databind to property values in objects using the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

• How to: Connect to Data in a Database
  Describes how to create a connection between your application and a database using the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

• How to: Connect to Data in a Web Service
  Describes how to create a connection between your application and the data returned from a web service using the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

• How to: Connect to Data in an Access Database
  Describes how to create a connection between your application and an Access database using the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

• How to: Connect to Data in a SQL Server Express Database
  Describes how to create a connection between your application and a SQL Express database using the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

• How to: Create Connections to SQL Server Databases
  Describes how to create connection strings to Microsoft SQL Server databases.

• How to: Create Connections to Access Databases
  Describes how to create connection strings to Access databases.

• How to: Create Connections to Oracle Databases
  Describes how to create connection strings to Oracle databases.

• Walkthrough: Connecting to Data in a Database
  Provides step by step details for creating a connection between your application and a database.

• Walkthrough: Connecting to Data in a SQL Server Express Database
  Provides step by step details for creating a connection between your application and a SQL Express database.

• Walkthrough: Connecting to Data in a Web Service
  Provides step by step details for creating a connection between your application and a Web service.

• Walkthrough: Connecting to Data in Objects
  Provides step by step details for creating a connection between your application and the properties of an object.

• Walkthrough: Connecting to Data in an Access Database
  Provides step by step details for creating a connection between your application and an Access database file.

• Connecting to Data Sources
  Describes the ADO.NET Connection object and how to use it to connect to a data source.

Modify Data

• How to: Add Rows to a DataTable
  Provides the steps to create DataRow objects and add them to a data table.

• How to: Edit Rows in a DataTable
  Provides the steps for editing an existing row of data in a data table.

• How to: Delete Rows in a DataTable
  Provides the steps to remove specific rows of data in a data table.

• How to: Turn Off Constraints While Filling a Dataset
  Provides details for temporarily disabling constraint checking in a dataset.

• How to: Commit Changes in a Dataset
  Provides information and details for accepting changes that have been made to data in a dataset.

• How to: Check for Changed Rows
  Provides the steps to determine if data has been changed in a dataset.

• How to: Retrieve Changed Rows
  Provides details for returning rows of data that have been changed since last accepting any changes.

• How to: Locate a Specific Row in a DataTable
  Provides details for finding data in a data table using either a primary key value, or a column value.

• How to: Get Specific Versions of a DataRow
  Provides details for returning specific rows of data using the DataRowVersion enumeration.

• How to: Locate Rows that Have Errors
  Provides details for finding data in a data table that has been marked with an error.

Update Data

• How to: Save Dataset Changes to a Database
  Provides details on sending updated data back to a database using TableAdapters, and DataAdapters.

• How to: Update Data Using a TableAdapter
  Provides details on sending updated data back to a database using TableAdapters.

• Walkthrough: Saving Data to a Database (Single Table)
  Provides step-by-step details for saving modified data in a data table to the underlying database.

• Walkthrough: Saving Data to a Database (Multiple Tables)
  Provides step-by-step details for saving modified data in two related data tables to the underlying database.

Work with TableAdapters

• TableAdapter Overview
  Explains what TableAdapters are and the tools available to create them.

• TableAdapter Query Configuration Wizard
  Describes how to run the wizard and provides details for each wizard screen.

• How to: Create TableAdapters
  Provides the steps to create a new TableAdapter.

• How to: Edit TableAdapters
  Provides the steps to edit existing TableAdapters.

• How to: Create TableAdapter Queries
  Provides the steps to add a query to an existing TableAdapter.

• How to: Edit TableAdapter Queries
  Provides the steps to edit existing TableAdapter queries.

• How to: View the Queries in a TableAdapter
  Explains how to view the existing queries in a TableAdapter.

• How to: Create Parameterized TableAdapter Queries
  Provides the steps to create TableAdapter queries that accept parameters.

• How to: Add Global Queries to a Dataset
  Provides the steps to create a TableAdapter with a query that returns a single value.

• Walkthrough: Creating a TableAdapter with Multiple Queries
  Provides step-by-step instructions for creating a TableAdapter and adding a query to it.

Load Data

• Filling Datasets and Querying Data Overview
  Describes how to load data into datasets, and how to execute stored procedures and execute queries against a database.

• How to: Fill a Dataset with Data
  Provides details for loading data into datasets using TableAdapters, and DataAdapters.

• How to: Create and Execute an SQL Statement that Returns Rows
  Provides details for creating and executing SQL statements that return rows using TableAdapter queries and Command objects.

• How to: Create and Execute an SQL Statement that Returns a Single Value
  Provides details for creating and executing SQL statements that return single values using TableAdapter queries and Command objects.

• How to: Create and Execute an SQL Statement that Returns No Value
  Provides details for creating and executing SQL statements that return no value using TableAdapter queries and Command objects.

• How to: Execute a Stored Procedure that Returns Rows
  Provides details for executing stored procedures that return rows using TableAdapter queries and Command objects.

• How to: Execute a Stored Procedure that Returns a Single Value
  Provides details for executing stored procedures that return single values using TableAdapter queries and Command objects.

• How to: Execute a Stored Procedure that Returns No Value
  Provides details for executing stored procedures that return no value using TableAdapter queries and Command objects.

• How to: Set and Get Parameters for Command Objects
  Provides details for assigning values to parameters in queries and stored procedures, and reading values in parameters returned from executed commands.

Validate Data

• Data Validation Overview
  Provides an overview of events that can be used to analyze data before being committed to the dataset.

• How to: Validate Data During Column Changes
  Describes how to validate data during the ColumnChanging event.

• How to: Validate Data During Row Changes
  Describes how to validate data during the RowChanging event.

• Walkthrough: Adding Validation to a Dataset
  Provides step by step information for adding validation code to a dataset.

Work with Datasets

• How to: Create a Typed Dataset
  Explains how to create a typed dataset using design tools in Visual Studio.

• How to: Extend the Functionality of a Dataset
  Explains how and where to place code when extending the functionality of a typed dataset.

• How to: Create DataTables
  Provides the steps to create a new DataTable with the Dataset Designer.

• How to: Add Columns to a DataTable
  Provides the steps to create a new DataColumn in an existing DataTable.

• How to: Set the Data Type of a DataColumn
  Explains how to set or change the data type property of a DataColumn.

• How to: Change the Caption of a DataColumn
  Explains how to set the caption of a DataColumn to either the column name or something else.

• How to: Set the Default Value of a DataColumn
  Provides details for setting the initial value for a new DataColumn.

• How to: Restrict a Data Column to Contain Unique Values
  Explains how to set a DataColumn so it cannot contain duplicate values.

• How to: Set a Data Column as the Primary Key
  Explains how to set a DataColumn to be the primary key in a DataTable.

• How to: Create Data Columns that Display Expressions
  Explains how to set a DataColumn to display a calculated value.

• How to: Create DataRelations with the Dataset Designer
  Explains how to use the Dataset Designer to add a DataRelation object to a dataset.

• Walkthrough: Creating a DataTable in the Dataset Designer
  Provides step-by-step instructions for creating a DataTable and defining the DataColumn that make up its structure.

• Walkthrough: Creating a Dataset with the Dataset Designer
  Provides step-by-step instructions for creating a typed dataset without the help of the Data Source Configuration Wizard.

Manage Multiple Users and Conflicts

• Introduction to Data Concurrency in ADO.NET
  Provides an overview of the different methods of concurrency control.

• How to: Handle Concurrency Errors
  Describes how to use the DBConcurrencyException object to identify concurrency exceptions and the actual record that caused the error.

• Walkthrough: Handling a Concurrency Exception
  Provides step-by-step instructions for identifying and resolving a concurrency error.

Work with Microsoft SQL Server 2005

• SQL Server Projects
  Provides an overview of what SQL Server projects are, and the different items that can be created in one.

• Advantages of Using Managed Code to Create Database Objects
  Provides a brief explanation of the benefits of using a .NET language to create SQL Server database objects.

• Attributes for SQL Server Projects and Database Objects
  Provides information on the different attributes used in SQL Server projects.

• How to: Create a SQL Server Project
  Provides detailed steps in creating a new SQL Server project.

• How to: Deploy SQL Server Project Items to a SQL Server
  Provides detailed steps for deploying a SQL Server project to the database.

• How to: Create and Run a CLR SQL Server Stored Procedure
  Provides detailed steps for creating a stored procedure in managed code.

• How to: Create and Run a CLR SQL Server Aggregate
  Provides detailed steps for creating an aggregate in managed code.

• How to: Create and Run a CLR SQL Server Trigger
  Provides detailed steps for creating a trigger in managed code.

• How to: Create and Run a CLR SQL Server User-Defined Function
  Provides detailed steps for creating a user-defined function in managed code.

• How to: Create and Run a CLR SQL Server User-Defined Type
  Provides detailed steps for creating a user-defined type in managed code.

Debugging Microsoft SQL Server 2005

• How to: Debug a SQL CLR Stored Procedure
  Demonstrates how to debug stored procedures on a SQL Server.

• Walkthrough: Debugging a SQL CLR Trigger
  Demonstrates how to step from a stored procedure into a trigger when it fires.

• Walkthrough: Debugging a SQL CLR User-Defined Aggregate
  Demonstrates how to step into a User Defined Aggregate.

• Walkthrough: Debugging a SQL CLR User-Defined Scalar Function
  Demonstrates how to step into a User Defined Scalar Function.

• Walkthrough: Debug a SQL CLR User-Defined Table-Valued Function
  Demonstrates how to step into a User Defined Table-Valued Function.

• Walkthrough: Debugging a SQL CLR User-Defined Type
  Demonstrates how to step into a User Defined Type.

• Walkthrough: Debug a T-SQL Stored Procedure
  Demonstrates how to debug stored procedures on a SQL Server.

• Walkthrough: Debugging a T-SQL Trigger
  Demonstrates how to step from a stored procedure into a trigger when it fires.

• Walkthrough: Debugging a T-SQL User-Defined Function
  Demonstrates how to step from a stored procedure into a User Defined Function.

Other Resources

These Web sites are excellent resources to find more information, see what other Express users are doing, and stay in touch as the Visual Basic Express Edition community grows.

• Visual Basic Developer Center
  Central location for information about Visual Basic. Includes case studies, new tools, and other downloads.

• Coding4Fun
  Includes lots of articles and coding tips geared to the Express user.

• Visual Basic 6.0 Resource Center
  Here's extra help for Visual Basic 6 developers looking to upgrade or make Visual Basic 6 and Visual Basic 2005 play together.