ADO.NET Data Services

Note

In .NET Framework 4.0 and later versions, ADO.NET Data Services has been renamed to WCF Data Services.

ADO.NET Data Services consists of a combination of patterns and libraries that enable you to create and access data services for the Web or an intranet. ADO.NET Data Services exposes data as resources that are addressable by URIs. This enables you to access and change data by using the semantics of representational state transfer (REST), specifically the standard HTTP verbs of GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE.

ADO.NET Data Services uses the entity-relationship conventions of the Entity Data Model (EDM) to expose resources as sets of entities that are related by associations. ADO.NET Data Services enables you to expose data that originates from various sources. You can expose relational data as resources by defining a conceptual model by using the ADO.NET Entity Framework. You can also expose common language runtime (CLR) classes as resources.

ADO.NET Data Services uses internet standards for addressing and updating resources. These standards enable you to access these services from any client that can parse and access data that is transmitted over standard HTTP protocols. You can request and write data to resources by using well-known transfer formats: JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), a text-based data exchange format used extensively in AJAX application, and Atom, a set of standards for exchanging and updating data as XML.

ADO.NET Data Services also includes a set of client libraries, one for general .NET Framework client applications and another specifically for Silverlight-based applications. These client libraries provide an object-based programming model when accessing ADO.NET Data Services from platforms such as the .NET Framework and Silverlight.

Where Should I Start?

Depending on what you are most interested in, you should consider getting started with ADO.NET Data Services in one of the following topics.

• I want to jump right in…

  • Quickstart (ADO.NET Data Services)

  • Getting Started with ADO.NET Data Services

  • How to: Create a Data Service Using an ADO.NET Entity Framework Data Source (ADO.NET Data Services)

• Just show me some code…

  • Configuring the Data Service (ADO.NET Data Services)

  • How to: Execute Data Service Queries (ADO.NET Data Services)

• I want to watch some videos…

  • Data Platform How Do I? Videos: ADO.NET Data Services Series

• How does it integrate with Visual Studio?

  • Generating the Data Service Client Library (ADO.NET Data Services)

  • Entity Framework Provider (ADO.NET Data Services)

• What can I do with it?

  • ADO.NET Data Services Overview

  • Application Scenarios (ADO.NET Data Services)

• I want to use Silverlight…

  • ADO.NET Data Services (Silverlight)

  • Getting Started with Silverlight

• I want to use LINQ…

  • Querying the Data Service (ADO.NET Data Services)

  • How to: Execute Data Service Queries (ADO.NET Data Services)

• I just need some more information…

  • Data Programmability Team Blog

  • ADO.NET Data Services Resources

In This Section

• ADO.NET Data Services Overview
  Provides an overview of the features and functionality available in ADO.NET Data Services.

• Getting Started with ADO.NET Data Services
  Describes how to design and access a data service using ADO.NET Data Services.

• Defining a Data Service (ADO.NET Data Services)
  Describes how to create and configure a data service.

• Using a Data Service in a .NET Framework Application (ADO.NET Data Services)
  Describes how to use client libraries to access and change data from a .NET Framework client application.

See Also

Other Resources

Representational State Transfer (REST)