Paul Ballard

In my previous article (.NETDJ, Vol. 2, issue 4) we took a look at how ASP.NET v2.0's SqlDataSource control allows Web developers to create a dynamic Web site using data stored in a SQL database with little or no server code. In this article we're going to build on that by delving into some of the other new DataSource controls and how we can integrate data from non SQL sources into an interactive Web page. XmlDataSource The XmlDataSource is a new server control used to provide access to hierarchical data stored as XML. The first step in defining an XmlDataSource is to specify the location of the data to be retrieved. The data can be stored in an external file or defined within the XmlDataSource control itself. To specify the file that contains the data, set the DataFile property to the physical or relative path of the file. To embed the data within the HTML definit... (more)

INETA's Topic Choice: Data Source Controls in Whidbey

ASP.NET version 1.0 and 1.1 were giant leaps forward in making data-driven Web sites easier to create. With only a few lines of code you can create Web sites that dynamically query and update databases, XML files, and more. Furthering the goal of making Web development easier, ASP.NET version 2.0 makes even those few lines of code unnecessary, thanks to a new set of server controls called Data Source controls. Using the new Data Source controls you can declaratively create a link between the Web user interface (ASP.NET and HTML controls) and the data used to populate them. The s... (more)