ADONETin

ADONETin is commonly used to refer to ADO.NET, the core data access framework in the Microsoft .NET ecosystem. ADO.NET provides a set of classes for connecting to databases, executing commands, and retrieving results in a scalable, interoperable manner.

Key building blocks include connections (DbConnection), commands (DbCommand), and data readers (DbDataReader) for fast, forward-only access. A disconnected data model centers on DataSet, DataTable, and DataView, while DataAdapter bridges between a data source and in-memory data objects, enabling Fill and Update operations. The DataSet can hold multiple tables and relations and can be serialized for transport or caching.

ADO.NET supports multiple data providers that implement the provider model. The SqlClient provider targets SQL Server, while OleDb and Odbc enable access to other sources; additional third-party and Oracle providers extend support. Transactions are supported through DbTransaction and can participate in ambient transactions via System.Transactions. The API emphasizes explicit control over connections, command execution, and result handling, with connection pooling improving performance in server environments.

In practice, ADO.NET serves as the foundation for high-performance data access and is often used directly in applications that require granular control over SQL and results. It also underpins ORMs such as Entity Framework and lightweight alternatives like Dapper. Over time, the API has evolved with .NET Core and .NET 5/6/7, but the core concepts—connected data access, the DataReader path, and the disconnected DataSet path—remain central to the technology.