DataAdapter

In ADO.NET, a DataAdapter functions as a bridge between a data source, and a disconnected data class, such as a DataSet. At the simplest level it will specify SQL commands that provide elementary CRUD functionality. At a more advanced level it offers all the functions required in order to create Strongly Typed DataSets, including DataRelations. Data adapters are an integral part of ADO.NET managed providers, which are the set of objects used to communicate between a data source and a dataset. (In addition to adapters, managed providers include connection objects, data reader objects, and command objects.) Adapters are used to exchange data between a data source and a dataset. In many applications, this means reading data from a database into a dataset, and then writing changed data from the dataset back to the database. However, a data adapter can move data between any source and a dataset. For example, there could be an adapter that moves data between a Microsoft Exchange server and a dataset.