SQL Server™ 2005 Bible

Chapter 54. Designing High-Performance Data Access Providers

In This Chapter

• Data access concepts

• Working with data access objects (DAOs)

• Factories

• Data providers

Today, nearly all information is stored in a database, with even more information collected on a daily basis. This accumulation of information provides no value without a lens to shape our view. This is where the real value of that information comes into existence. When you provide a view into the data, you can begin to extract meaning and even predict future patterns, directions, or behavior. When information is presented in a meaningful fashion, individuals or applications can make decisions that have an impact on our lives.

Consider, for example, credit reports. As we go about our daily lives purchasing various items with a credit/debit card, making our car and mortgage payments along with our various other bills, this information is stored in databases. Each item on its own does not provide much information, but when a lens such as a credit report is applied to the data, various patterns emerge that help both individuals and institutions make decisions about us—hopefully for the better!

This chapter covers some data access concepts and explores three data access patterns using VB.NET data access objects (DAOs), factories, and providers. Within the Microsoft realm of development, DAO refers to a collection of classes that provide database access optimal for Microsoft Access. For the purposes of this chapter, DAO refers to ...