Essential ADO.NET

7.4. Typed DataSets

One of the functions performed by XSD.exe, the XML schema generation tool, is to generate a typed DataSet from an XSD schema. This functionality is also available in Visual Studio as a menu item and context menu entry on an existing “DataAdapter object.” What exactly is a typed DataSet?

A typed DataSet is a subclass of System.Data.DataSet in which the tables that exist in the DataSet are derived by reading the XSD schema information. The difference between a typed DataSet and an “ordinary” DataSet is that the DataRows, DataTables, and other items are available as strong types; that is, rather than refer to DataSet.Tables[0] or DataSet.Tables["customers"], you code against a strongly typed DataTable named, for example, MyDataSet.Customers ...