Question

VB.net 2008 Dataset VS Datareader

Asked by: aarontham

for vb.net 2008 i would like to know what is the diffrence between  Dataset and Datareader. how to use it in a right routine.

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Asked On
2009-03-13 at 20:20:38ID24229722
Topics

.NET

,

Microsoft Visual Basic.Net

,

Visual Studio

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
8

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Answers

 

by: NikkoliPosted on 2009-03-13 at 21:33:49ID: 23885431

The big difference is that a dataset returns all of the data in your query at once, while a data reader returns any data it gets, as it gets it.

But in reality, they are actually complementary to each other.  When you use a DataAdapter, that is actually using DataReader to get the information for that dataset.

If you want a container to carry data round from one object or method to another, the dataset is perfect for this, but if you want to work with the data immediately, you can get a performance gain from using the DataReader Directly.

using both is as follows:


DataSet:
 
Dim strSQLQuery As String = "Select * From [table] Where [condition]"
Dim cn As New SqlConnection("enterConnectionStringHere")
Dim ds As New DataSet("name")
Dim da As New SqlDbDataAdapter(strSQLQuery, cn)
 
da.Fill(ds, "Something")
 
 
DataReader:
 
Dim cn As New SqlConnection("enterConnectionStringHere")
Dim strSQLQuery As New SqlCommand("Select * From [table] Where [condition]", cn)
Dim dr As New SqlDataReader()
 
cn.Open()
dr = strSQLQuery.ExecuteReader()
While dr.Read()
'Do something here with the datareader using either:
dr(0...etc).ToString() (etc)
'or
preDefinedVariable = dr.GetInt32("namedItem")
'there are a number of casting style gets
End While
dr.Close()
cn.Close()
                                              
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by: CodeCruiserPosted on 2009-03-14 at 05:29:36ID: 23886458

The big difference is that the DataSet is Disconnected access to the data and the DataReader is a connected access. When you populate a dataset, you get all the rows in the resultset of the query to your dataset. You can then close the database connection but the dataset would have those records for as long as it exists. You can use those results even after the database connection is closed.
The datareader on the other hand is a connected, sequential access to the records. It retrieves data one row at a time. So it keeps the connection to the database open for as long as it is open itself.
If you need to display tabular data in a grid for example you would use dataset(or datatable is even better). If you need to retreive and display one record then you would be best using datareader.

 

by: NikkoliPosted on 2009-03-14 at 09:30:40ID: 23887565

Datareader is also a great way of filling a custom object that you use in your program because of the speed increase.

A Datareader isn't just for retrieving one record, it can retrieve as many as your query will return.

 

by: CodeCruiserPosted on 2009-03-14 at 12:01:19ID: 23888054

>A Datareader isn't just for retrieving one record, it can retrieve as many as your query will return.

True. But its sequential access (one record at a time).

 

by: NikkoliPosted on 2009-03-14 at 14:43:57ID: 23888748

True.  It is sequential, but then a dataAdapter is also.

 

by: CodeCruiserPosted on 2009-03-15 at 07:30:14ID: 23891495

A Dataset is not sequential in that you can randomly access any row by using the rowindex.

 

by: NikkoliPosted on 2009-03-16 at 05:23:07ID: 23896827

I think you may be misunderstanding what I was trying to say CodeCruiser.

What I was saying is that if you need to use the data coming from your SQL query now, then the DataReader is the better route.  This includes filling your own custom objects.  The reason why is that it is faster as it doesn't need the overhead of the dataset or datatable.

If you want to maintain your data to use later or elsewhere and are not using custom objects then the Dataset and Datatables are the way to go because they provide a container to store and transport that data in.

To say that the DataReader allows you to only retrieve one record is not correct though because it will retrieve as much as your query tells it to retrieve.  The SqlDataAdapter that is used to fill a Dataset or Datatable actually creates a datareader internally to retrieve the data that it is filling into the Dataset.

Just because it is sequential, doesn't mean it is worse than the Dataset route.  They are actually not competing tools for the same task, they are different tools in much the same way a cup and faucet are.  One gets you the information now, while the other one uses the first to get information and let you carry it back to your work area.

 

by: CodeCruiserPosted on 2009-03-16 at 05:38:41ID: 23896943

Its just the way we are expressing the knowledge. We both know how a datareader and a dataset work its just how we tell the asker. When i said datareader accesses one record, i meant one record at a time, So if you need to search for all rows where date is blabla within your resultset, you have to keeping calling the Read() function of the reader and search through all the rows. But in datatable, you can use RowFilter and other techniques. So in this sense, reader is one record at a time and dataset/datatable is random access.

@aarontham
Where have you disappeared mate?

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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