Programming Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012

Object Relational Modeling (ORM) Comes to .NET

There is no doubt that DataSets have served programmers well over the years. And if what you need is an in-memory database object model, or a generic data container, they still remain useful today. The DataSet also has many features to make it “work” like a business object. You’ve seen how a typed DataSet supplies properties for the Customer table similar to how you’d code the properties a Customer entity class yourself. And because you can embed your own business logic and validations directly into a typed DataSet by leveraging partial classes, DataSets can deliver many of the same encapsulation benefits that object-oriented designs offer when working with pure business entities.

But close is not ...