recordset

A recordset is an in-memory representation of a set of records retrieved from a database by a query or table. It provides a tabular view of the data, with records as rows and fields as columns, and supports navigation, retrieval, and optional modification. Recordsets are commonly used in database programming environments such as ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) and DAO (Data Access Objects), where they serve as an interface between the application and the data source.

Recordsets can be scrollable or forward-only, and can be static (a snapshot of data) or dynamic (reflecting changes made to the underlying data source while open) in some providers. They may be read-only or updatable, depending on the provider and the query. Filtering, sorting, and searching can be applied either by the query that produced the recordset or by properties on the recordset object. Some recordsets are cached client-side for performance, while others are cursor-based and live on the data source.

Typical operations include moving to the first, last, next, or previous record; reading or setting field values; adding or deleting records; and updating the data source. Recordsets are often used to populate user interfaces, such as grids and forms, and to perform bulk or transactional data manipulation.

Note that the term "recordset" is more common in older or framework-specific contexts; modern data access layers may use data readers, data tables, datasets, or ORM entities that serve similar roles, sometimes with different performance and concurrency characteristics.