ODS generates and re-generates source code in seconds. Since ODS also takes care of the database schema design and schema upgrades automatically, it's perfect for rapid prototyping or for quickly developing n-tier / layered applications.

ODS does not require an existing database or, in many cases, require you to write any SQL. Instead, you use ODS Design Studio to design the objects that you want to store in a database. You can choose from a number of pre-defined "Add", "Update", "Delete" and "Get By" methods that you want to use to store and retrieve objects in the database.

ODS automatically designs a database that can store the objects that you have designed. It also designs the SQL/Stored Procedures needed to implement the "Add", "Update", "Delete" and "Get By" methods. All of this is built into the source code which ODS generates.

ODS Design Studio can be used to design and generate source code for an entire DAL from scratch. No existing database is required, in many scenarios you won't need to write any code or SQL and no external tools are needed. It's all done automatically. ODS automatically designs the database schema and data access SQL for you. It even automatically handles changes to the design. An entire DAL can be created from scratch using only ODS Design Studio.

ODS is a source code generation tool, not a run-time library, environment or service. The generated source code does NOT require ODS or any ODS run-time components to be installed for the source code to compile or run. No DAL functionality is hidden away in proprietary dlls or run-time components. Since it's all source code, you can view or modify any part of your DAL.

ODS generates high quality, consistent, well documented source code that fully conforms to Microsoft's best practice style and consistency rules.

ODS gives you the flexibility to support multiple database types through a single DAL. No need to create and maintain separate DALs for each different type of database. Write your code once and let the ODS generated DAL deal with the different database types.

ODS generated DALs implement a provider model which allows you to switch seamlessly between database types, without changing your code.

An ODS generated DAL allows you create multiple data stores within the same database and makes it easy to share the database with other systems. A high degree of isolation is achieved by automatically prefixing all database objects (table and procedure names) created for each data store. This allows different DALs to share the same database as well as multiple instances of the same DAL and other systems, such as ASP.NET security.

ODS generates source code for an Object Oriented DAL with extendibility built in. Virtually all functionality can be overridden and extended using inheritance. Alternatively, since the entire DAL is generated as source code, you can simply modify it.

ODS is a source code generation tool, not a run-time library, environment or service. As such you only need to purchase a license for each development machine that you install ODS on - to generate source code. Once you've generated source code, you are completely free to modify, compile or distribute the source code with your commercial or non-commercial application. There really are absolutely no licensing requirements or restrictions on the source code generated by ODS. You do not need ODS or any ODS run-time component to be installed to compile or run the source code generated by ODS.

To save time, ODS can automatically generate Visual Studio 2005 Project and Solution files that can be used to compile the generated source code. ODS can package the generated source code into one or several VS2005 projects.