With its unique virtual mode feature, DataSource for Entity Framework supports access and data binding to large data sets, ranging from thousand to millions of rows, without awkward paging. In this mode, C1DataSource automatically retrieves rows from the database when they are needed for display in bound controls and then disposes of them when they are no longer required. That way the large data set appears to be in memory and ready for data binding without additional code and without consuming more memory resources than is necessary for displaying the rows currently shown by the bound controls.

The most common way of dealing with large data sets is to use paging. Paging usually provides for a poor user experience compared with data grids and other GUI controls directly bound to the data source. Virtual mode makes it possible to bind rich GUI controls directly to large data sets without paging.