Java JDBC - Difference Between Row Set and Result Set

Last Updated : 31 Jul, 2021

ResultSet characteristics are as follows:

It maintains a connection to a database and because of that, it can’t be serialized.
it can not pass the Result set object from one class to another class across the network.
ResultSet object maintains a cursor pointing to its current row of data. Initially, the cursor is positioned before the first row. The next method moves the cursor to the next row, and because it returns false when there are no more rows in the ResultSet object, it can be used in a while loop to iterate through the result set.
javax.sql.rowset.RowSet is a wrapper around a ResultSet which makes it possible to use the result set as a JavaBeans component in JDBC java.
ResultSet alone cannot be used as a JavaBeans component.

RowSet characteristics are as follows:

it is a disconnected, serializable version of a JDBC ResultSet. it also extends the ResultSet interface.
The Row Set can be serialized because it doesn’t have a connection to any database.
The Row Set interface provides a set of JavaBeans properties that allow a Row Set instance to be configured to connect to a JDBC data source and read some data from the data source. A group of setter methods (setInt, setBytes, setString, and so on) provides a way to pass input parameters to a row set's command property.
Row Set interface extends ResultSet interface in java.
javax.sql.rowset.JdbcRowSet the subclass of Row Set is a wrapper around a ResultSet which makes it possible to use the result set as a JavaBeans component.

Note: RowSet is alternate to ResultSet but is more effective than ResultSet

Now let us wrap up differentiating them that is as follows:

RowSet	ResultSet
RowSet is present in the javax.sql package	ResultSet is present in the java.sql package
A Row Set can be connected, disconnected from the database.	A ResultSet always maintains the connection with the database.
RowSet is scrollable providing more flexibility	ResultSet by default is always forward only
A Row Set object can be serialized.	It cannot be serialized.
You can pass a Row Set object over the network.	ResultSet object cannot be passed other over the network.
Result Set Object is a JavaBean object. RowSet using the RowSetProvider.newFactory().createJdb cRowSet() method.	Result Set object is not a JavaBean object result set using the executeQuery() method
ResultSetBy default, RowSet object is scrollable and updatable.	By default, the ResultSet object is not scrollable or, updatable.