.Net Data Tutorials

Looking for help learning how to program Dot Net database applications using VistaDB? You've come to the right place!  View the list of topics on the left for high level topics.  Don't forget to look on your local drive under the Samples folder for more complete samples.

Desktop Database Best Practices Advice

10 things to make your desktop database apps better - Honestly this is the best advice we can give most desktop database app developers.  Take the time to implement them.  We have heard from many customers that were having problems that after they implemented these basic ideas their apps became much better, and that resulting in happier customers!

VistaDB Training Videos

We have a channel VistaDB Training Channel on YouTube with tutorial videos for learning VistaDB.  We do create videos on the channel for user requests also, so feel free to post requests in the forums for samples.

Your First App Quickstart

Your first app tutorial shows how to build a basic databound Winforms application using Visual Studio. A screen captured version is also available to view.   This example is written in C#, but should be easy to follow for VB.Net programmers as well since most of the demo is using Visual Studio databound controls.

Recent posts from our blog

CodeProject Posts

• Jul 13 - LINQ to Entities Projection
• Jul 05 - LINQ Group By with NULL database values
• Jul 02 - ClickOnce applications using VistaDB
• Jun 25 - Speed up blocking functions with PLINQ
• Jun 22 - Building a plug-in model to load VistaDB - Part II
• Jun 10 - Exposing OData from an Entity Framework Model
• Jun 09 - Building a Dynamic LINQ to Entities Compiler (Part 2)

VistaDB Posts

• Aug 12 - More business lessons on pricing
• Aug 11 - Small Business Lessons - continued
• Aug 10 - Lessons I have learned - continued
• Aug 09 - Things I have Learned – Multi Part
• Jul 29 - VistaDB 4.1 Data Builder Update

Visit the Tutorial section of our blog to view all the articles tagged as tutorial.

Insert SQL records sample

This sample was written for a user on our forums who wanted to know how to insert 30000 records in a table.  The sample uses DDA and SQL methods to demonstrate both processes.  The SQL uses parameterized queries to demonstrate that concept as well.

VB.NET Insert Database Sample - Visual Studio 2008 solution showing how to insertrows into a sql database using SQL parameters and DDA.

C-Sharp Insert Database Sample - Visual Studio 2008 solution demonstrating sql row insertion using SQL parameterized queries and DDA access methods.

Import data into VistaDB

Starting Data Conversion with NorthwindEF

For many years the Northwind database was the benchmark app for many different database vendors. This database was a sample provided with Access by Microsoft (we offer it for download from our public downloads site).  We are now using the NorthwindEF database (which is an updated version including FK's for Entity Framework support).

Many users have used it to learn the basics of database design and coding.  VistaDB can convert the complete Northwind database to VDB4 format (including views, although many of the views in the NorthwindEF database are broken in the original database). 

This tutorial is a walkthrough of how to convert the database and view the data after conversion.  The conversion takes place with the Data Migration Wizard included in VistaDB. 

We also offer the full C# source code as an add-on.  You can also use this convertor to convert data from Access, SQL CE, or SQL Server to VistaDB.  The application support command line parameters as well for running inside a setup app or deployment scenario.

CLR Procs Overview

There is a CLR Procs and Functions overview page that covers the basics of CLR Assemblies and VistaDB.

CLR Procs Overview is the starting point for how to build CLR procs and function, load those assemblies into your VistaDB 4 database, and then call them from SQL or ADO.Net.

There is a CLR Proc Sample Project as well that includes a video intro on building CLR Procs.

Check your local help

Please also check in your local help files for more information and HOWTO articles.  The main help file can be brought up by pressing F1 in the Data Builder, or from the start menu.  An online version of the help file can also be found here.

Visual Studio Database Programming

There are a number of different ways to program databases in Visual Studio using VB.Net or C-Sharp.  Visual Studio has the databound controls, which are often used in Microsoft examples as ways to program databases. These databound controls are often great for quickly getting an application prototyped.

Something you need to learn?

Do you have a database related programming task you need help learning?  Visit our forums and post in the Examples forum.  We have a large community of users who might be able to explain or even help with code.  In addition we have a number of sample applications for database programming in the forum already.

NUnit Samples

The NUnit sample project is written in C# and is a fast way to see specific programming features in small chunks of code.  If you are not familiar with NUnit or unit testing it may seem a little strange at first, but the format is pretty easy to understand.  The unit tests are functional examples of how to perform certain database related tasks using only code, there are no databound or visual controls used.