DataObjects Express Edition makes it exceptionally easy to work with data in .NET applications. It shields developers from the complexities of ADO.NET, makes data bound forms as easy to build as it used to be in previous versions of Microsoft Visual Studio. However, DataObjects for .NET Express is not just about ease of use; it also adds many power features absent in standard ADO.NET:

• DataObjects for .NET Express fully supports multi-table rowsets (composite tables) automatically enforcing data relations without manual coding. For example, changing a CustomerID field will automatically change the corresponding CustomerName field in the same row, although it is stored in a separate table.
• With an innovative virtual mode technology, DataObjects for .NET Express allows you to use large datasets in .NET Windows Forms applications, the feature that is not supported in Visual Studio and ADO.NET without DataObjects for .NET.
• DataObjects for .NET Express completely automates database updates. There is no need to use ADO.NET DataAdapter or other special components. Database updates are performed without manual coding. DataObjects for .NET Express can update the database even when multiple and interrelated changes have been made to multiple tables.
• Setting a single property, UpdateLeavingRow, you can make DataObjects for .NET Express update the database immediately after the user changes a row. This optional feature is commonly used in desktop and classic client-server applications. Standard ADO.NET does not support this feature.
• DataObjects for .NET Express supports an extensive set of events enabling full programmatic customization.
• DataObjects for .NET Express is a special edition of DataObjects. The Express Edition is geared toward ease of use and optimized for desktop and client-server applications. The main goal of Express Edition is to provide a data framework for .NET that is very easy to use, highly intuitive and requires minimal effort to master. If you need even more power, consider using DataObjects Enterprise Edition supporting additional power features:
• DataObjects for .NET Enterprise Edition uses the standard business object paradigm to allow you to develop business logic components (data libraries) and reuse them in multiple client projects. It provides clear separation of business and data logic from the presentation (GUI) layer.
• C1DataObjects Enterprise Edition allows you to create a centralized and reusable repository of data schema and business logic (data libraries) used in applications throughout the enterprise.
• C1DataObjects Enterprise Edition completely automates the task of developing distributed 3-tier Web-based applications. No special server-based code is necessary, and making your application distributed becomes a simple matter of deployment configuration.

DataObjects for .NET Express and C1DataObjects Enterprise Edition are not mutually-exclusive, they can even be used together in the same application. They have common runtime core functionality and object model. The difference is primarily in design time: developers use a special Schema Designer in DataObjects for .NET whereas DataObjects for .NET Express is a suite of three simple components with built-in design-time support.