ADO.Net
What is ADO.Net?
ADO.NET is the latest data-access API from Microsoft. As its name
suggests, it is an evolution of Active Data Objects (ADO), built as part
of the Microsoft .NET Frameworks. ADO.NET presents a very different
programming model from Microsoft''s previous data-access APIs.
The old connected model, in which a client program maintained a connection
with the server for the duration of the application; the new paradigm
underpinning ADO.NET is a disconnected model where clients only hold
connects for the minimum time necessary.
The .NET runtime and frameworks are also available for non-Windows
platforms as a result of the Mono open-source project from Novell, which
is committed to providing a compatible environment for developing .NET
applications for cross-platform use.
Why use ADO.Net?
As an integral component of the .NET Frameworks, it is the standard
Data-Access method for developing database centric (SQL or XML) Windows
Forms applications, Web Services, and other data consuming .NET
components. The Mono project also includes a full implementation of the
ADO.NET Frameworks that extends the data access benefits of ADO.NET to
platforms such as Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, and HP-UX.