>>>>>>

dsDept.DepartmentDataTable dt = new dsDept.DepartmentDataTable(ds.Tables[0]);

>>>>>>
>>>>>>You are creating a "new" table outside of your dataset, so your dataset will be empty if you fill that table. (The table will have data, but you are returning the dataset, not the table.)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>

dsDept.DepartmentDataTable dt = ds.DepartmentDataTable;

>>>>>>
>>>>>>or
>>>>>>
>>>>>>

adapter.FillByID(ds.DepartmentDataTable, id);

>>>>>>
>>>>>>HTH
>>>>>
>>>>>Neither of those is acceptable to the system. When I build I get an error that dsDept.DepartmentDataTable is a 'type' and is not valid in the context.
>>>>
>>>>Are you sure you went:
>>>>

dsDept.DepartmentDataTable dt = ds.DepartmentDataTable;

>>>>
>>>>Or did you go:
>>>>

dsDept.DepartmentDataTable dt = dsDept.DepartmentDataTable;

>>>>
>>>>Based on your comment you went dsDept.DepartmentDataTable which is a type, ds.DepartmentDataTable is a reference to the table.
>>>>
>>>>However... everything works as it should, so thanks for the help in putting me on the right track. I was going crazy with this one.
>>>>
>>>>You're welcome, glad you solved it.
>>>
>>>I just went back and looked it over again. I typed it as you assumed instead of as you typed because "ds.DepartmentDataTable" was not available. I looked and "DepartmentDataTable" is a private type. That meant I couldn't do it your way without changing the code in a 'generated code' area. In that case, I guess the only way to do it is the way I ended up.
>>>
>>>Again, thanks for the help.
>>
>>You're welcome. Strange that it's private on your system. They all come in public on mine. Wonder what would be different.
>
>I think the difference was in my not understanding what I was doing.
>
>The DepartmentDataTable in 'ds' is not "DepartmentDataTable", it's "Department", so the following does work:
>

dsDept.DepartmentDataTable dt = ds.Department;

>and I can replace the 2 lines I used with just that one line. I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of this. Thanks a million.

#!@#$ That was my typo in trying to convert my test code over to your sample code. I should have spotted that I forgot to drop the "DataTable" part off the table name.

Glad you found it!