How to find column definition - OLEDB Data Source

A Dataset serves as a comprehensive container that holds a collection of data obtained from a Data Source. It acts as a unified repository for various tables and their associated relationships. The OleDbDataAdapter, an integral component, facilitates the process of populating DataTables within the Dataset. By utilizing the Fill method provided by the OleDbDataAdapter, we can efficiently retrieve and populate data into the Dataset.

Dataset

One notable feature of the Dataset is its ability to accommodate multiple tables simultaneously. This means that the Dataset can hold and manage several DataTables concurrently, allowing for a structured representation of the data. Each DataTable consists of rows and columns, signifying individual records and their corresponding attributes. The number of members within the Dataset, which corresponds to the number of rows, determines the extent of data that can be contained.

ColumnsCollection object

In certain scenarios, it becomes necessary to determine the column headers within a specific DataTable. To accomplish this, the DataTable incorporates a ColumnsCollection object that retains the definitions of each column. By accessing this collection, we gain insights into the names and properties of the columns present in the DataTable.

Full Source VB.NET
Imports System.Data.OleDb Public Class Form1 Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click Dim connetionString As String Dim connection As OleDbConnection Dim oledbAdapter As OleDbDataAdapter Dim ds As New DataSet Dim dt As DataTable Dim sql As String Dim i As Integer connetionString = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=Your mdb filename;" sql = "Your SQL Statement Here" connection = New OleDbConnection(connetionString) Try connection.Open() oledbAdapter = New OleDbDataAdapter(sql, connection) oledbAdapter.Fill(ds, "OLEDB Temp Table") oledbAdapter.Dispose() connection.Close() dt = ds.Tables(0) For i = 0 To dt.Columns.Count - 1 MsgBox(dt.Columns(i).ColumnName) Next Catch ex As Exception MsgBox("Can not open connection ! ") End Try End Sub End Class

Conclusion

Dataset empowers us to efficiently store and manipulate data from diverse sources, while the OleDbDataAdapter facilitates seamless integration of DataTables. The ability to handle multiple tables simultaneously and the availability of the ColumnsCollection object in DataTables offer extensive capabilities for data analysis and manipulation.