>Well, setting breakpoints is easy enough ... in the IDE, click all the way over on the left side of the window until you see a red dot. There's your breakpoint (you can also set it in code with System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break()
>
>In the Commmand window, be sure it's in Immediate mode (I think you need to type >immed or something like that if you aren't). Then just type the name of your DataSet (you'll get Intellisense happening), until you get to the table or whatever it is you want to display, then hit enter. It'll show you stuff. Alternatively, you can display stuff in the Debugger's Watch window just by typing it in, but you don't get Intellisense there.
>
>Maybe you need to do a little more reading? <g>
>
>~~Bonnie

Hello Bonnie;

Amazing what a little <g> can accomplish! :)

Anyway, excuse the following folks. I have programmed in 13 different software languages to support my family. I have taken several good courses on ASP.NET, ADO.NET, etc. I find .NET to be a complex subject for a number of reasons.

The majority of books that have been published on the subject of .NET is almost staggering. Also, the number of helpful and accurate books concerning .NET is imo trivial! Granted I have not purchased everything in print but my wife thinks I have! :)

The way I learn is often by first having a need or requirement. Then I attempt to find a solution. I think a good step up would be to offer some advice on which literature is of value. I have purchased over $1000 worth of .NET literature and returned most of it because it is useless to me.

The Microsoft Core Reference material seems to be in general good and of value. Something that annoys me greatly is when methods, properties and events have the wrong name, and also when example code does not work.

There is nothing like having the time to sit down and learn something by banging on it. However, there comes a point of frustration and I think the intelligent thing to do is to ask questions. Getting pointed in the right direction saves time. Having someone attempt to answer another persons question is most helpful.

I wish we had a simple set of answers to questions like, “What methods or ways can be used to populate a combo box, and what are the results of using each one”? I am sure you could find a 1500 page book on that subject but it could be answered in less than a page.

Perhaps coming from the electronics-engineering world I realize the value of having direct questions and answers with a best practices document. Reading through prose and verbiage does not accelerate the learning curve. Good practical examples (code segments) with results (visual or otherwise) go a long way towards learning.

Tom - in "Lovely Silicon Valley"!