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

15.1. Understanding Data Management

Almost every piece of software ever written works with data. In fact, a typical web application is often just a thin user interface shell on top of sophisticated data-driven code that reads and writes information from a database. Often, website users aren't aware (or don't care) that the displayed information originates from a database. They just want to be able to search your product catalog, place an order, or check their payment records.

15.1.1. The Role of the Database

The most common way to manage data is to use a database. Database technology is particularly useful for business software, which typically requires sets of related information. For example, a typical database for a sales program consists ...