Professional ADO.NET 2: Programming with SQL Server 2005, Oracle, and MySQL

ADO.NET revolutionized the way data was accessed through SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL. With Microsoft's release of ADO.NET 2, ADO and the .NET Framework are integrated with SQL Server for the first time-enabling you to program .NET applications directly within the SQL Server database.

Packed with sample code and recommended best practices for using ADO.NET 2, this code-intensive book explores the new data types that are available in the 2.0 Framework and discusses the appropriate time and way to use them. You'll learn how to make repetitive, mundane tasks much simpler and you'll walk away with a solid foundation for developing database-driven applications.

What you will learn from this book

• The basics of creating a connection, executing a query, and returning a result
• Best uses for Oracle in the ADO.NET Framework
• The many new features that are available for XML
• How to use the full text search capabilities of Microsoft(r) SQL Server 2005
• Methods for retrieving data and presenting it in various ways
• Why MySQL is a viable option for data storage

Who this book is for

This book is for experienced database developers who want to learn the latest release of ADO.NET 2.0. Knowledge of ADO.NET 1.0, general .NET development, and Microsoft SQL Server is necessary.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

Wallace B. McClure graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1990 with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. He continued his education there, receiving a master’s degree in the same field in 1991. Since that time, he has done consulting and development for such companies as Coca-Cola, Bechtel National, Magnatron, and Lucent Technologies, among others. Products and services have included work with ASP, ADO, XML, and SQL Server, as well as numerous applications in the Microsoft .NET Framework. Wally McClure specializes in building applications that have large numbers of users and large amounts of data. He is a Microsoft MVP and an ASPInsider, and a partner in Scalable Development, Inc. You can read Wally’s blog at http://weblogs.asp.net/wallym/.

Gregory A. Beamer is a solutions architect specializing in Microsoft Internet technologies. Greg got involved in programming in the early 1990s with Visual Basic 3 and has stayed on the leading edge of Microsoft Internet technologies since the Denali beta (ASP 1.0). Greg first worked with .NET with the PDC 2000 beta and has been on both the SQL Server 2005 and .NET 2.0 betas since spring 2003. When Greg is not working, he spends his time with his wife, Tiffany, and their four daughters, Rebecca, Emily, Annabelle, and Miranda.

John J. Croft IV graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1991, receiving a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He then spent five years consulting for large companies, including Coca-Cola, BellSouth, and MCI. Work at these companies primarily involved C and C++ programming and object-oriented systems analysis. His various clients have included both Fortune 100s and small startup companies. Their problems have ranged drastically, from large databases and executive information systems to lithotripter control and satellite telemetry. Croft has completed projects with Java, XML, and, recently, C# and .NET applications. He is a partner in Scalable Development, Inc.

J. Ambrose Little is the editor-in-chief of the ASPAlliance, an ASPInsider, and a Microsoft ASP.NET MVP who currently works as a Web architect for a large credit union in Tampa, Florida. Previously, he worked as a consultant at Verizon, creating XMLWeb Services and middle-tier components, and for BOK Financial’s Web Services department creating ASP.NET applications for their intranet. His pre-.NET programming experience consists mostly of developing Web applications using ASP and VB COM/DCOM for several years. He has a bachelor’s degree in medieval European history, which remains an interest. Apart from developing software, he enjoys movies, reading, writing, foosball, chess, tennis, badminton, and spending time with his wonderful family.

Bill Ryan currently works as a senior software developer for TiBA Solutions in Greenville, SC. He is also a Windows Embedded MVP, has served on Macromedia’s Flash Advisory Board, and helps run two popular .NET Focused Web sites (www.devbuzz.com and www.knowdotnet.com) and his blog www.msmvps.com/WilliamRyan. After earning his master’s degree in business administration, Bill began work as a statistical analyst, but quickly realized that his true love was programming. He has worked in multiple industries, including financial services/securities, manufacturing, health care, pharmaceuticals, and, currently, consulting. Bill is a frequent speaker at user’s group meetings, has spoken at multiple Microsoft Code Camps, and has hosted multiple MSDN Webcasts. Although technologically related things consume most of his time, Bill’s other interests include cult films, economics, Freemasonry, cuckoo clocks, and, most important, his girlfriend, Kim, and her daughter, Sarah.

Phil Winstanley is a Web applications developer working for Portfolio Europe, located in Manchester, England. He has been involved with ASP.NET since its inception, and has developed a deep understanding of the plat