# ObjectDataSource Component Overview

A common application design practice is to separate the presentation layer from the business logic and encapsulate the business logic in business objects. These business objects form a layer between the presentation layer and the data tier, resulting in a multi-tier application architecture. The ObjectDataSource component supports the multi-tier architecture by providing a way for you to bind the Data Report Items to a middle-tier business object without extensive code. The ObjectDataSource component represents the middle-tier object (business object or any other class) and provides data retrieval capabilities.

## Supported object types

Any of the following data sources can be assigned to the DataSource property of the ObjectDataSource component:

* Any component that implements **[IEnumerable](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.collections.ienumerable?redirectedfrom=MSDN\&view=net-7.0)**, including **[System.Array](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.array?redirectedfrom=MSDN\&view=net-7.0)**, **[IList](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.collections.ilist?redirectedfrom=MSDN\&view=net-7.0)**, **[ICollection](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.collections.icollection?redirectedfrom=MSDN\&view=net-7.0)**, and **[BindingSource](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.windows.forms.bindingsource?redirectedfrom=MSDN\&view=windowsdesktop-7.0)**

* Any component that implements **[IListSource](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.componentmodel.ilistsource?redirectedfrom=MSDN\&view=net-7.0)**, including **[DataTable](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.data.datatable?redirectedfrom=MSDN\&view=net-7.0)**, **[DataSet](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.data.dataset?redirectedfrom=MSDN\&view=net-7.0)** and DataView

* Any component that implements **[IDataAdapter](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.data.idataadapter?view=net-7.0)**, including **SqlDataAdapter** and **OleDbDataAdapter**

* Any component that implements **[ITypedList](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.componentmodel.itypedlist?view=net-7.0)**, including **[DataView](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.data.dataview)** and **[DataViewManager](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.data.dataviewmanager)**

* System.Type which represents the type of the business object

## Requirements for the DataSource

* If the `DataSource` reference contains more than one table, you must set the `DataMember` property to a string that specifies the table to bind to.

  For example, if the DataSource is a DataSet or DataViewManager that contains three tables named `Customers`, `Orders`, and `OrderDetails`, you need to specify the table to bind to.

* If the name of the `DataMember` (i.e. the table to bind to) is not specified, **the first Table of the DataSet** will be bound to the `DataSource`.

* If the `DataSource` references a strongly typed array of objects (business objects) these objects must contain public properties.

* If the `DataSource` is a business object, the `DataMember` property specifies the name of the method that should be invoked to retrieve the data.

* If the `DataMember` property is not specified, the constructor of the type will be invoked.

* If the constructor or the method contains arguments they can be specified through the `Parameters` collection of the `ObjectDataSource` component.

* You can also bind to an `ArrayList`. A feature of the `ArrayList` is that it can contain objects of multiple types. The `ObjectDataSource` component binds to such a list despite the types of items in it. The only requirement is that they provide public properties with the same names as they are used in the expressions.

* Already instantiated data objects do not have to be wrapped in a data source component. Instantiated data objects can be set directly to data items' DataSource properties.

## Supported developer platforms

* .NET Framework 4.6.2 and above
* .NET 8 and above
* .NET Standard 2.0 and above

## See Also

* [Connecting the ObjectDataSource component to a Data Source](https://www.telerik.com/products/reporting/documentation/designing-reports/connecting-to-data/data-source-components/objectdatasource-component/connecting-the-objectdatasource-component-to-a-data-source)
* [How to Add ObjectDataSource in a Report Designed in the Standalone Designer?](https://www.telerik.com/products/reporting/documentation/knowledge-base/steps-on-how-to-add-objectdatadource-in-a-report-designed-in-the-standalone-designer)
* [AssemblyReferences element](https://www.telerik.com/products/reporting/documentation/doc-output/configure-the-report-engine/assemblyreferences-element)
* [Data Source Components Problems](https://www.telerik.com/products/reporting/documentation/knowledge-base/data-source-components-problems)