>I think if our non-C# programmers think LINQ/EF is complicated they will have a complete meltdown when they see how tedious working with datasets, et al. is like.

Jeff, I'm not going to argue the merits or pitfalls of DataSets vs EF, but I do want to point out that I think you're misguided about the tedium in working with DataSets. I wonder if you used regular old vanilla DataSets or Typed DataSets? Typed DataSets give you typed properties, just like any Entity class would. They are also auto-generated. Typed DataSets are heads-and-shoulders above plain old DataSets. They should be used as a data transport mechanism, much as any Entity class would be used (one area that I think a lot of people get wrong). The only caution I always tell people when working with Typed DataSets is to avoid the TableAdapters, they only add pain and misery. <g> And that's easy enough to do. DataAccess isn't all that complicated with DataSets either. I've been working with Typed DataSets for almost 9 years and really like them. My various blog posts on the subject might be interesting reading.

The purpose of my post is not to push my viewpoint on how easy and beneficial I think DataSets are, but only to point out that they generally misunderstood. I should also mention a disclaimer that I haven't used EF, nor have I used any ORM at all, so I might not really know what I'm missing. But, I just hate to see the poor DataSet being abused and somebody needs to stick up for them! <g>

~~Bonnie