How POCO Differs from Classic ADO.NET DataSet

POCO DataSet is intentionally designed as a modern alternative to ADO.NET DataSet. While the classic DataSet was built for drag-and-drop WinForms and XML serialization, POCO DataSet targets JSON-based, metadata-driven architectures and lightweight modern frameworks.

Key Differences

• POCO-based instead of framework-based.
• No hidden behaviors such as AcceptChanges or constraint propagation.
• Metadata-driven rather than XML-schema-driven.
• Column-oriented internal storage instead of row-owned values.
• Simpler object model without relation managers or typed DataSets.
• Designed for JSON serialization instead of XML.

Why This Matters

These differences make POCO DataSet more predictable, extensible, and suitable for modern web, cloud, and UI-driven applications.

Table of Content POCO DataSet Table and Row Organization