How to Use Data Sources with Databases - How to choose a data source type

The first step of the Data Source Configuration Wizard lets you specify the source from which your application will get its data. To work with data from a database as described in this chapter, you select the Database option. However, you can also select the Web Service option to work with data from a web service that’s available from the Internet or from an intranet. Or, you can select the Object option to work with data that’s stored in business objects. This option lets you take advantage of the objects that are available from the middle layer of an application as described in chapter 17.

The first step of the Data Source Configuration Wizard

How to start the Data Source Configuration Wizard

• Click on the Add New Data Source link that’s available from the Data Sources window when a project doesn’t contain any data sources.
  
• Select the Add New Data Source command from Visual Studio’s Data menu.
  
• Add a SQL Server (.mdf) or Access (.mdb) data file to the project using the Project->Add-> Existing Item command. Then, the wizard will skip to the step shown in figure 14-4 that lets you choose the database objects you want to include.

How to choose a data source type

1. To get your data from a database, select the Database option. This option lets you create applications like the ones described in this chapter.
   
2. To get your data from a web service, select the Web Service option. This option lets you browse the web to select a web service that will supply data to your application.
   
3. To get your data from a business object, select the Object option. This option lets you create applications like the ones described in chapter 17.

Description

• Before you start this procedure, you need to install your database server software on your own PC or on a network server, and you need to attach your database to it. For more information, please refer to appendix A.
  
• When you click the Next button in the first step of the wizard above, the Choose Your Data Connection step is displayed. Then, if you’ve already established a connection to a database, you can choose that connection. Otherwise, you can click the New Connection button to display the Add Connection dialog box shown in the next figure.

Figure 14-2.   How to start the Data Source Configuration Wizard and choose a data source type

Next: How to create a connection to a database >>
 

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