ADODB.Recordset

ADODB.Recordset
Name	ADODB.Recordset
Developer	Microsoft
Released	1996
Latest release version	ADO 2.8
Programming language	C++, COM
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
License	Proprietary

ADODB.Recordset ADODB.Recordset is a Component Object Model (COM) object introduced by Microsoft as part of ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) for accessing and manipulating tabular data from Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Database, Sybase, IBM DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite and OLE DB providers used by Internet Explorer and Visual Basic 6. It provides a programmatic interface for navigating rows, fields, and metadata within a client or server cursor and is used in applications built with Visual Basic .NET, C#, COM, Delphi, ASP Classic and PowerBuilder. The object mediates between connection objects such as ODBC drivers, OLE DB providers, and transactional services like Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator to enable CRUD operations, filtering, sorting, and batch updates in desktop, server, and web environments.

Overview

ADODB.Recordset acts as an in-memory representation of a result set returned from a SQL Server query, Stored Procedure, or table access through an OLE DB Provider. It encapsulates row-oriented access similar to record cursors in Transact-SQL, and presents metadata such as field type, size, and attributes analogous to catalog information in Information_schema views. Developers using environments such as Visual Basic 6, ASP Classic, Windows Forms, COM Interop and scripting hosts like Windows Script Host commonly bind the Recordset to UI controls in Microsoft Access, Excel, Internet Information Services, or custom GUIs for rapid data-driven development. Interoperability with database engines including Oracle, IBM DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite relies on compatible providers and drivers supplied by vendors such as Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, IBM, MariaDB Corporation and community projects.

Properties and Methods

Key properties include CursorType, CursorLocation, LockType, Fields, RecordCount, EOF, BOF, ActiveConnection, and Source. Methods include Open, Close, AddNew, Update, Delete, MoveFirst, MoveLast, MoveNext, MovePrevious, Seek, Find, Clone, Requery, Save, and GetRows. Field objects expose Name, Type, DefinedSize, Attributes and Value, mapping to SQL types found in systems like SQL Server, Oracle Database, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite. Common programming environments such as Visual Basic 6, C++, C#, VBScript, JScript and Delphi invoke these members when performing operations on data displayed in controls like MSFlexGrid, DataGridView, OLE DB Recordset control and ADODB.Record wrappers used in enterprise apps developed by Microsoft partners and independent software vendors.

Recordset Types and Cursor Locations

Recordset behavior is controlled by CursorType (adOpenForwardOnly, adOpenStatic, adOpenKeyset, adOpenDynamic) and CursorLocation (adUseServer, adUseClient). Server-side cursors often rely on Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle cursor implementations and are influenced by provider capabilities (for example, SQL Server Native Client or Oracle Provider for OLE DB). Client-side cursoring uses a client cursor engine such as the JET/ACE engine in Microsoft Access or the OLE DB Consumer for disconnected Recordsets, enabling pessimistic or optimistic LockType settings and batch updates for synchronization with backend stores like Microsoft Exchange or SharePoint lists. Developers must account for provider-specific behaviors seen in SQLite embedded engines, MySQL connectors, and vendor drivers from IBM and MariaDB when choosing cursor types for performance, concurrency, and scalability in server environments like IIS and application platforms such as COM+ and .NET Framework.

Connection and Transaction Behavior

Recordsets are typically opened through an ActiveConnection referencing a Connection object that supports BeginTrans, CommitTrans and RollbackTrans. Transaction management integrates with Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator for distributed transactions across resources such as SQL Server, Oracle, DB2 and message brokers. Isolation levels and locking semantics reflect database engine features like row locking, table locking, and snapshot isolation used in SQL Server, while OLE DB providers mediate behaviors for connectors to Oracle Database, MySQL, PostgreSQL and IBM DB2. Connection pooling provided by OLE DB and ODBC drivers, and managed in application servers like IIS and COM+, affects lifetime and reuse of Connection objects tied to Recordsets and can influence transactional scope, deadlock behavior, and resource contention in multiuser systems.

Examples and Usage Patterns

Common usage patterns include server-side forward-only Recordsets for streaming large result sets to reporting engines like Crystal Reports and SQL Server Reporting Services, client-side disconnected Recordsets for offline editing in Microsoft Access or sync scenarios with Exchange Server and SharePoint, and cursor cloning for UI-bound datasets in Visual Basic 6 or C# applications. Typical code examples involve opening a Connection to SQL Server or Oracle, issuing a SQL command or calling a Stored Procedure, creating a Recordset, iterating with MoveNext until EOF, modifying fields with AddNew/Update/Delete, and applying changes with UpdateBatch or Close. Integration examples include binding to Excel automation for data export, using Recordsets with ADO.NET bridges for interoperability with .NET Framework, and streaming binary data (BLOBs) for multimedia storage in SQL Server or Oracle blobs.

Error Handling and Events

ADODB.Recordset raises events such as WillChangeRecord, RecordChangeComplete, FetchProgress, FetchComplete and WillChangeField that application code can handle in environments like Visual Basic 6, VBScript hosted in IIS, or C++ COM event sinks. Error handling typically catches COM HRESULTs and interrogates the Errors collection for provider-specific diagnostics, which reference vendor messages from Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Database, MySQL or PostgreSQL. Common failure modes include provider incompatibilities, network timeouts in TCP/IP communication with database servers, lock timeouts and deadlocks in SQL Server and Oracle, credential or permission issues tied to Active Directory accounts, and mismatches in data types or schema changes originating from tools like SQL Server Management Studio or Oracle SQL Developer. Defensive coding patterns use transaction rollback, retry logic, and validation against metadata exposed by the Recordset and Connection objects to maintain data integrity in enterprise systems managed by administrators from organizations such as Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, IBM and open-source communities.

Category:Microsoft ADO