ADO.NET Overview

Most applications handle data, whether in the form of a database, text file, spreadsheet, whatever — the majority of modern day programs need access to an information store.

Now when Visual Basic 3.0 came along with its new and groovy data access capabilities, people were amazed. Suddenly a mass of Access desktop applications sprung up and the world was at peace.

Today, people are taking advantage of the latest data access technologies to improve scalability and boost interoperability. But it all needs speeding up - faster, faster!

And there's a chance that the tools we use today just won't be able to keep up with this demand. That's why with the .NET move, Microsoft have unveiled ADO.NET — its "evolutionary" step in data access technologies that promises the world and infinitely more.

But what exactly does it deliver?