Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition

23.6. The ObjectDataSource

Using a dedicated database component is a great way to keep your code efficient and well-organized. It also makes it easy for you to apply changes later. However, this has a drawback—namely, you need to write quite a bit of code to create a web page and a separate data-access component. In Chapter 16, you saw that you could simplify your life by using components such as the SqlDataSource to encapsulate all your data access details. Unfortunately, that code-free approach won't work if you're using a separate component—or will it?

It turns out there is a way to get the best of both worlds and use a separate data-access component and easier web page data binding. Instead of using the SqlDataSource, you use the ObjectDataSource, ...