A system and method that facilitate data access in a software development
environment is provided. The system generates strongly typed objects that
encapsulate raw, untyped data access logic and groups together like
database commands in a common data access component. The system provides
a mapping between database types and common language runtime data types
including the impedance mismatch of null representations. The system
configures data access component(s) that are employed at design-time to
facilitate access to data object(s) by application(s) and allows a user
of the configured data access component(s) to improve developer
productivity and/or reduce the quantity of runtime errors introduced into
code. The data access component can be instanced on multiple forms
components and/or with the developer's own class(es). Thus, change(s) to
a query and/or interface are accomplished within the data access
component and be available to the forms components and/or object(s) that
utilize the data access component.