Visual Basic Concepts
What's New in Data Access
All Editions This new data access technology features a simpler object model, better integration with other Microsoft and non-Microsoft technologies, a common interface for both local and remote data access, remotable and disconnected recordsets, a user-accessible data binding interface, and hierarchical recordsets.
Professional and Enterprise Edition The Data Environment designer provides an interactive, design-time environment for creating ADO objects. These can be used as a data source for data-aware objects on a form or report, or accessed programmatically as methods and properties exposed off of the Data Environment object. The Data Environment designer supports all the functionality of Visual Basic's UserConnection designer, as well as additional features, including drag and drop, hierarchies, grouping, and aggregates.
All Editions A new OLEDB-aware data source control that functions much like the intrinsic Data and Remote Data controls, in that it allows you to create a database application with minimum code.
Professional and Enterprise Editions In previous versions of Visual Basic, it was only possible to bind controls together on a form. In Visual Basic 6.0, we’ve made it possible to bind any ADO/OLE DB data source to any ADO/OLE DB data consumer. You can set the DataSource property of controls at run time to dynamically bind to data sources. You can create classes that are data sources and consumers, and bind them through the new BindingsCollection object. You can create user controls that are data sources, similar to the ADO Data Control. You can create user controls that are complex-bound, similar to the DataGrid control.
All Editions OLE DB is a set of COM interfaces that provide applications with uniform access to data stored in diverse information sources, both relational and nonrelational. These interfaces support the amount of DBMS functionality appropriate to the data source, enabling it to share its data. ADO is the way that programmers access OLE DB. All the new data bound controls, the Data Environment, and the Data Report designer are OLEDB-aware.
Visual Database Tools Integration (Query Designer and Database Designer)
Enterprise Edition Visually create and modify database schemas and queries: Create SQL Server and Oracle database tables, drag and drop to create views, and automatically change column data types.
Setup Wizard Data Enhancements
All Editions The Package and Deployment Wizard (formerly the Setup Wizard) incorporates support for ADO, OLE DB, RDO, ODBC, and DAO.
Professional and Enterprise Editions Allows you to use drag and drop to quickly create reports from any recordset, including hierarchical recordsets.
Professional and Enterprise Editions Create user controls and classes that are data sources, to which other controls can be bound.
Professional and Enterprise Editions You can use the Data View window to browse all of the databases you are connected to and see their tables, views, stored procedures, etc.
Enterprise Edition Allows you to add new stored procedures to existing SQL Server and Oracle databases. You can write triggers using the editor too.
All Editions An updated version of the FlexGrid control that, in addition to supporting all the functionality of the FlexGrid control, can display a hierarchy of ADO Recordsets. Each Recordset returned is displayed as a separate band within the grid and can be formatted independently.
Professional and Enterprise Editions Insert a UserControl into the DataRepeater to create a custom view of a database, similar to Access forms. The UserControl can contain TextBox, CheckBox, DataGrid or other controls bound to data fields.
All Editions You can now pass ADO Recordsets across processes and even across machines (using HTTP or DCOM), which provides an efficient means for moving data between tiers in a multitier application.
Professional and Enterprise Editions Now gives you the ability to build code-only forms where controls are not bound to a data control. It allows you to use ADO code. The wizard is integrated with the Application, Chart, and FlexGrid wizards.
Professional and Enterprise Editions Automates creating middle-tier objects bound to the Data Environment or UserControls.
All Editions Offer a streamlined set of routines to traverse the file system and create text files and directories.
All Editions Provide two-way conversion of data between a database and a bound control: When a value is read from a database, the Format objects add formatting appropriate to the bound control.
All Editions An OLEDB-aware version of DBGrid, the control allows you to quickly build an application to view and edit recordsets. It also supports the new ADO Data control.
DataList Control, DataCombo Controls
All Editions These controls are OLE DB versions of the DBList and DBCombo controls. They also support the new ADO Data control.
All Editions Microsoft Jet and Replication objects allow you to add features to your application that are specific to the Microsoft Jet Database Engine. The object provides control over Jet Engine-specific features such as compacting databases and refreshing data from the cache.