Up to this point, we have relied on code to implement the ADO .NET objects we have used. In other words, we have created OleDbConnection, OleDbDataAdapter, OleDbDataReader and DataSet objects by declaring them, instantiating them and setting their properties with program statements.

There certainly is another way to do this.

Microsoft has continually improved the 'automatic' operation of their software ('wizards' and object discovery - 'Intellisense') to make it possible write programs that are almost 'codeless'. The code is certainly part of your program, but it's hidden in Region blocks and properties are set by Visual Studio, not by the programmer directly.

Many authorities, including a lot of book authors, think that learning how to use these wizards is the best way to get started using ADO .NET. I disagree. I think that it's more important to know what's going on "under the covers" first and then learn about these automated methods. But the time has now come to do it the automated way so we're going to write the same program introduced in Part 2, but this time we'll use the Microsoft supplied Visual Studio wizards.

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About.com also has a database focused site at databases.about.com.

This series will focus on the VB .NET language aspects of ADO .NET. Go to About Databases for more information 'About' building and using databases.

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Well ... Almost one. All will become clear.

We'll use the same Access database containing About Visual Basic Spotlight articles that we used in Part 2 of this series last week. The Access file can be found in the download along with the source code. Here's what our example database design looks like:

The key techniques to write the example program will be "bound controls" and Visual Studio wizards. Because the programming this week will be more of a step-by-step process rather than a program, that's the way it will be described.

Instructions start on the next page!

Next page > Stepping Up to the Wizard! > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6