Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in C# 2008: From Novice to Professional, Second Edition

16.1. Introducing Data Binding

The basic principle of data binding is this: you tell a control where to find your data and how you want it displayed, and the control handles the rest of the details. Data binding in ASP.NET is superficially similar to data binding in the world of desktop or client/server applications, but in truth, it's fundamentally different. In those environments, data binding involves creating a direct connection between a data source and a control in an application window. If the user changes a value in the on-screen control, the data in the linked database is modified automatically. Similarly, if the database changes while the user is working with it (for example, another user commits a change), the display can be refreshed ...