SQL Server Timestamp对应C#哪种数据类型？含Insight.Database场景

Great question! Let's break this down both for your specific use case with Insight.Database and general best practices for SQL Server timestamp mappings.

For Insight.Database & SQL Server 2017 #

First off, it makes sense you didn't find explicit "Timestamp" references in the Insight.Database source—this framework leans heavily on ADO.NET's underlying type handling, so it inherits the default mapping behavior for SQL Server types.

SQL Server's timestamp type (which is now officially called rowversion—the timestamp term is deprecated but still widely used) is essentially an 8-byte binary value used for row versioning, not a date/time value. The ideal C# type to map this to is byte[].

Here's a quick example of an entity class that works seamlessly with Insight.Database:

public class Product
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    // Maps directly to SQL Server timestamp/rowversion column
    public byte[] RowVersion { get; set; }
}

Insight.Database will automatically handle the conversion between the SQL Server timestamp column and your byte[] property without any extra configuration. Just keep in mind that timestamp/rowversion is a read-only column in SQL Server—you don't need to set this value in your C# code; the database will generate and update it automatically when the row is modified.

If you're using this for optimistic concurrency checks (a common use case for rowversion), Insight.Database will correctly pass the byte[] value as a parameter in your update queries, letting you compare versions to prevent accidental overwrites.

General C# to SQL Server Timestamp Mapping Best Practices #

Beyond Insight.Database, here are the standard guidelines for mapping SQL Server timestamp/rowversion:

• Stick with byte[]: This is the default mapping used by ADO.NET, and it's compatible with every ORM and data access library for SQL Server. It's simple, widely understood, and requires no special handling.
• Never use DateTime/DateTimeOffset: This is a common mistake! SQL Server's timestamp has nothing to do with dates or times—it's a binary value for tracking row changes. Mapping it to a date type will cause errors or incorrect data.
• Consider SqlBinary if needed: For scenarios where you want tight integration with SQL Server-specific types, you can use System.Data.SqlTypes.SqlBinary. But byte[] is almost always the better choice for its simplicity and portability.
• Prefer rowversion over timestamp in your schema: Microsoft recommends using rowversion as the column name instead of timestamp (since timestamp is a deprecated term). The behavior is identical, but rowversion makes the column's purpose clearer to anyone working with the database.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者barrypicker