title: DataSet or Entity Data Model
body: <p>Please excuse the noob question as I am new to integrating data with my applications. I've tried to find answers on the net, but not there yet.</p>
  
  <p>I have an application I'm developing in C# on VS2010 which requires data in/out from a database. I am trying to figure out if its a DataSet or Entity Data Model I need to use when setting up a data source. My understanding was that it was the EDM which allowed me to treat tables/fields in a database as objects, but somehow it looks like I can do that with a DataSet too.</p>
  
  <p>Some sources explain that a DataSet makes a cached copy of the Database which can then be manipulated.</p>
  
  <p>Essentially my question is which should I use and what are the (dis)advantages of one over the other.</p>