Introduction

ADO.NET is an incredibly fundamental tool that allows us to create applications driven by databases. Through its set of classes, we can connect to data sources such as SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL databases and manipulate them to our liking. In this article, we will guide you on how to add ADO.NET in Visual Studio 2019.

Getting Started with ADO.NET

To begin working with ADO.NET, we’ll first need to have .NET Framework and Visual Studio 2019 installed on our computer. Once that is done, follow these steps to add ADO.NET to your project:

Step 1: Create a New Project

Start off by creating a new project in Visual Studio 2019 by clicking on the “Create a New Project” option within the start screen.

Step 2: Select the Type of Project

When prompted, select the type of project you want to create, such as a console application or Windows Forms application, depending on your needs.

Step 3: Add ADO.NET References

Next, add ADO.NET references to your project by right-clicking on the “References” option in the “Solution Explorer” and then selecting “Add Reference”. A new window will pop up where you can select the desired ADO.NET references. For instance, select “System.Data.SqlClient” for a SQL Server database.

Step 4: Establishing Connection

After adding the required ADO.NET references, the next step is to establish a connection to the database. Create a connection string that specifies the location and credentials of the database, which can be accessed via the “Properties” window. Then, assign a value to the setting that specifies your database location and credentials.

Step 5: Retrieving Data

With the connection being established, you can retrieve data from the database using ADO.NET commands. For example, to retrieve all the employees’ details from a table named “Employee”, create a SqlCommand object and then execute it. The results can be collected using a SqlDataReader object or a DataTable.

Conclusion

Through ADO.NET, you can gain access to a wide range of databases, making it a powerful tool for database-driven applications. By following these steps and adding ADO.NET to your Visual Studio 2019 project, manipulating data becomes quick and simple. With more practice, you’ll be able to master ADO.NET and create amazing applications that utilize the power of databases.