Chapter 28. The DataView Class

The DataView class is a view onto a DataTable. Using the DataView, you can apply sort or filter conditions without modifying the underlying data. You can even create multiple DataView objects to show different representations of the same DataTable. The DataView also provides methods for searching for specific rows.

As with all disconnected data classes, the DataView isn't specific to any provider. DataView objects can be created programmatically, but every DataTable also provides a DefaultView property that contains a default DataView. If you bind directly to a DataTable, .NET automatically uses the DataView contained in the DefaultView property to determine what data should be displayed. In addition, every DataSet provides a DefaultViewManager property, which provides a default DataViewManager. The DataViewManager is primarily used when binding an entire DataSet to a control (like the Windows DataGrid). In this case, the control can use the presets stored in the DataViewManager to generate individual DataView objects for each DataTable as required.