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Introduction

AdoNet.Async is an async-first interface and base-class library for ADO.NET. It provides drop-in async wrappers for System.Data types, bringing modern async/await, IAsyncEnumerable, ValueTask, and async event support to the entire ADO.NET programming model.

The problem​

System.Data was designed in the .NET Framework era. While DbConnection and DbDataReader eventually gained a handful of Task-returning methods, the core interfaces (IDbConnection, IDbCommand, IDataReader, IDataRecord) remain fully synchronous. This means:

  • No async interfaces -- You cannot program against an async abstraction. IDbConnection.Open() is synchronous; only the concrete DbConnection.OpenAsync() is available, and it returns Task, not ValueTask.
  • No IAsyncEnumerable -- Iterating rows requires a manual while (reader.Read()) loop. There is no way to await foreach over a result set.
  • No async events -- DataTable events like RowChanging and ColumnChanged use synchronous delegates. If your handler needs to call an async API (validation service, audit log, cache invalidation), you are forced into sync-over-async or fire-and-forget patterns.
  • No ValueTask -- The few async methods that exist return Task/Task<T>, which allocates on every call even when the operation completes synchronously.

The solution​

AdoNet.Async defines a complete set of async interfaces (IAsyncDbConnection, IAsyncDbCommand, IAsyncDataReader, IAsyncDataRecord, IAsyncDbTransaction) that mirror System.Data but add:

  • ValueTask everywhere -- Every async method returns ValueTask or ValueTask<T> for zero-allocation on synchronous completion paths.
  • IAsyncEnumerable<IAsyncDataRecord> -- IAsyncDataReader implements IAsyncEnumerable, so you can stream rows with await foreach.
  • Dual sync/async -- Every interface exposes both synchronous and asynchronous members, enabling gradual migration without breaking existing code.
  • Async events -- AsyncDataTable exposes 9 async events (column changing/changed, row changing/changed/deleting/deleted, table clearing/cleared, table new row) powered by ZeroAlloc.AsyncEvents for zero-allocation, sequential dispatch.
  • Adapter pattern -- Existing DbConnection/DbCommand/DbDataReader instances are wrapped with a single .AsAsync() call. No provider-specific code needed.

Packages​

AdoNet.Async is split into six focused packages so you only take dependencies you need:

PackageWhat it provides
AdoNet.AsyncCore async interfaces (IAsyncDbConnection, IAsyncDbCommand, IAsyncDataReader, etc.) and abstract base classes. Zero external dependencies.
AdoNet.Async.AdaptersAdapter wrappers (AdapterDbConnection, AdapterDbCommand, etc.), the .AsAsync() extension method, and DI registration via AddAsyncData().
AdoNet.Async.DataSetAsyncDataTable, AsyncDataSet, AsyncDataRow, AsyncDataRowCollection, AsyncDataAdapter, and 9 async events.
AdoNet.Async.DataSet.GeneratorRoslyn source generator that produces strongly typed async DataSet/DataTable/DataRow classes from .xsd schema files.
AdoNet.Async.Serialization.NewtonsoftJsonAsyncDataTableConverter and AsyncDataSetConverter for Newtonsoft.Json, wire-compatible with Json.Net.DataSetConverters.
AdoNet.Async.Serialization.SystemTextJsonAsyncDataTableJsonConverter and AsyncDataSetJsonConverter for System.Text.Json, producing the same wire format as the Newtonsoft package.

Who is this for?​

  • Teams migrating existing ADO.NET code -- Wrap your existing DbConnection with .AsAsync() and start using async interfaces immediately. Sync methods still work, so you can migrate incrementally.
  • New projects wanting async-first data access -- Program against IAsyncDbConnection and IAsyncDbCommand from day one. Use dependency injection with IAsyncDbProviderFactory for clean abstractions.
  • Applications using DataTable/DataSet -- If your codebase relies on DataTable for in-memory data manipulation, AsyncDataTable gives you async mutations, async events, and await foreach iteration while keeping full interop with the underlying DataTable.
  • Blazor WebAssembly developers -- The library is WASM-safe: sync methods throw PlatformNotSupportedException on the browser platform, guiding you toward the async path.

Next steps​