Question

How can I get a DataSet with all the data from a SQL Express server using C#?

Thanks

edit: To clarify, I do want all the data from every table. The reason for this, is that it is a relatively small database. Previously I’d been storing all three tables in an XML file using DataSet’s abilities. However, I want to migrate it to a database.

Answer 1

You can use the GetSchema method to get all the tables in the database and then use a data adapter to fill a dataset. Something like this (I don’t know if it compiles, I just paste some code and change it a bit):

DbProviderFactory factory = DbProviderFactories.GetFactory('System.Data.SqlClient');  DataTable tables = null; DataSet database = new DataSet();  using (DbConnection connection = factory.CreateConnection()) {      connection.ConnectionString = 'Data Source=(local);Initial Catalog=Northwind;Integrated Security=True';      string[] restrictions = new string[4];      // Catalog     restrictions[0] = 'Northwind';      // Owner     restrictions[1] = 'dbo';      // Table - We want all, so null     restrictions[2] = null;      // Table Type - Only tables and not views     restrictions[3] = 'BASE TABLE';      connection.Open();      // Here is my list of tables     tables = connection.GetSchema('Tables', restrictions);      // fill the dataset with the table data     foreach (DataRow table in tables.Rows)     {          string tableName = table['TABLE_NAME'].ToString();          DbDataAdapter adapter = factory.CreateDataAdapter();         DbCommand command = factory.CreateCommand();         command.Connection = connection;         command.CommandType = CommandType.Text;         command.CommandText = 'select * from [' + tableName + ']';         adapter.SelectCommand = command;         adapter.Fill(database, tableName);      }  } 

EDIT:

Now I refactored it a bit and now it’s working as it should. The use of DbConnection and DbProviderFactories is for database engine abstraction, I recommend using it so you can change the database engine changing this line and the connection string:

DbProviderFactory factory = DbProviderFactories.GetFactory('System.Data.OracleClient'); 

The GetSchema method will retrive all tables from your database to a DataTable and then we get all the data from each table to the DataSet using the DataAdapter.