docs-desktop/dotnet-desktop-guide/framework/winforms/controls/bind-wf-controls-with-the-bindingsource.md

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title	ms.date	helpviewer_keywords	ms.assetid
Bind Controls with the BindingSource Component Using the Designer	03/30/2017	controls [Windows Forms], binding BindingSource component [Windows Forms], binding controls data binding [Windows Forms], BindingSource component	391ae170-de5c-40f8-8233-91cb2ee4683a

How to: Bind Windows Forms Controls with the BindingSource Component Using the Designer

After you have added controls to your form and determined the user interface for your application, you can bind the controls to a data source, so that, at run time, users can alter and save data related to the application.

Binding a control or series of controls in Windows Forms is most easily accomplished using the xref:System.Windows.Forms.BindingSource control as a bridge between the controls on the form and the data source.

One or more controls on a form can be bound to data; in the following procedure, a xref:System.Windows.Forms.TextBox control is bound to a data source.

To complete the procedure, it is assumed that you will bind to a data source derived from a database. For more information on creating data sources from other stores of data, see Add new data sources.

To bind a control at design time

1. Drag a xref:System.Windows.Forms.TextBox control on to the form.

2. In the Properties window:

   1. Expand the (DataBindings) node.

   2. Click the arrow next to the xref:System.Windows.Forms.TextBox.Text%2A property.

      The DataSource UI type editor opens.

      If a data source has previously been configured for the project or form, it will appear.

3. Click Add Project Data Source to connect to data and create a data source.

4. On the Data Source Configuration Wizard welcome page, click Next.

5. On the Choose a Data Source Type page, select Database.

6. On the Choose Your Data Connection page, select a data connection from the list of available connections. If your desired data connection is not available select New Connection to create a new data connection.

7. Select Yes, save the connection to save the connection string in the application configuration file.

8. Select the database objects to bring into your application. In this case, select a field in a table that you would like the xref:System.Windows.Forms.TextBox to display.

9. Replace the default dataset name if you want.

10. Click Finish.

11. In the Properties window, click the arrow next to the xref:System.Windows.Forms.TextBox.Text%2A property again. In the DataSource UI type editor, select the name of the field to bind the xref:System.Windows.Forms.TextBox to.

    The DataSource UI type editor closes and the data set, xref:System.Windows.Forms.BindingSource and table adapter specific to that data connection are added to your form.

See also

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.BindingSource
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.BindingNavigator
• Add new data sources
• Data Sources Window