ADO - Cursor Location

In ADO (ActiveX Data Objects), the CursorLocation property of a Recordset determines where the cursor that navigates through records is located — either on the client side or the server side. This affects performance, record navigation, and which features are available.

1. Purpose

CursorLocation controls:

  • Whether the Recordset operations (like moving, filtering, sorting) are handled on the client or on the database server.

  • Availability of features like MovePrevious, AbsolutePosition, Filter, and Sort.

2. Syntax

rs.CursorLocation = adUseClient   ' Client-side cursor

or

rs.CursorLocation = adUseServer   ' Server-side cursor

  • Must be set before opening the Recordset.

3. CursorLocation Types

CursorLocation Description Advantages Limitations
adUseClient (Client-side) Cursor is managed by ADO on the client machine Supports backward navigation, MovePrevious, AbsolutePosition, Filter, Sort, disconnected Recordsets Uses more memory on client
adUseServer (Server-side, default) Cursor is managed by the database server Less memory used on client; can handle large datasets efficiently Limited navigation (MovePrevious may not work); Filter and Sort may not be available

4. Example

Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset
Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset

' Use client-side cursor for full navigation
rs.CursorLocation = adUseClient
rs.CursorType = adOpenStatic
rs.LockType = adLockOptimistic

rs.Open "SELECT * FROM Employees", conn

rs.MoveLast       ' Works because cursor is client-side
rs.AbsolutePosition = 1
rs.Filter = "Department = 'Sales'"
rs.Sort = "Salary DESC"

5. Key Points

  • Client-side cursor (adUseClient) is required for:

    • MovePrevious / MoveLast

    • AbsolutePosition / RecordCount

    • Filter and Sort

  • Server-side cursor (adUseServer) is usually faster for read-only forward-only operations on large datasets.

  • Often combined with CursorType to control navigation and performance.