... but how do I avoid using DataSets when Visual Studio makes them so damn seductive by having them do so much just by dragging them onto a form?

Hi, David,

Sorry to jump in, I know Bonnie will be happy and able to give you a further explanation, but I wanted to respond:

Nothing that Bonnie has said means you have to avoid DataSets - typed DataSets are a nice visual representation of the data, and yes, they help with the design-time experience in Visual Studio. What Bonnie is specifically voicing opinion on (and I definitely agree with her) is the use of the TableAdapter. It's OK (in my book) to use typed DataSets - you just don't want to design them to be coupled/tied to your data access in the manner you were describing. From your posts, it sounds like you're carrying too much coupling in your project.