To Work with Data Access Classes

You can use Microsoft Visual Studio to work with a data access class (DAC) that has been added to a customization project.

A customization project can contain code for a DAC in the following item types (see Supported DAC Extension Formats for details):
  • As a DAC item with XML data for an existing DAC
  • As a Code item with the code of an existing DAC extension
  • As a Code item with the code of a custom DAC
  • In a File item that keeps a .dll file of the extension library that contains the binary code of a DAC extension or custom DAC

Once a customization project is published, you can use Visual Studio to develop, modify, and debug the customization code of a Code item on the fly. However, you cannot use this approach for a DAC item.

If you need to work in Visual Studio with the code of the DAC whose changeset is added to a customization project as a DAC item in XML format, perform the following actions:
  1. Follow the instructions described in To Convert a DAC Item to a Code Item to convert the item to the Code item.
  2. Follow the instructions described in To Work with a Code Item to change the code of the DAC extension.