Types of dbExpress Datasets

The dbExpress category of the Tool palette contains four types of unidirectional dataset: TSQLDataSet, TSQLQuery, TSQLTable, and TSQLStoredProc.

TSQLDataSet is the most general of the four. You can use an SQL dataset to represent any data available through dbExpress, or to send commands to a database accessed through dbExpress. This is the recommended component to use for working with database tables in new database applications.

TSQLQuery is a query-type dataset that encapsulates an SQL statement and enables applications to access the resulting records, if any.

TSQLTable is a table-type dataset that represents all of the rows and columns of a single database table.

TSQLStoredProc is a stored procedure-type dataset that executes a stored procedure defined on a database server.

Note: The dbExpress page also includes TSimpleDataSet, which is not a unidirectional dataset. Rather, it is a client dataset that uses a unidirectional dataset internally to access its data.