Possible to retrieve IDENTITY column value on insert using SqlCommandBuilder (without using Stored Proc)?

The insert command can be instructed to update the inserted record using either output parameters or the first returned record (or both) using the UpdatedRowSource property...

InsertCommand.UpdatedRowSource = UpdateRowSource.Both;

If you wanted to use a stored procedure, you'd be done. But you want to use a raw command (aka the output of the command builder), which doesn't allow for either a) output parameters or b) returning a record. Why is this? Well for a) this is what your InsertCommand will look like...

INSERT INTO [SomeTable] ([Name]) VALUES (@Name)

There's no way to enter an output parameter in the command. So what about b)? Unfortunately, the DataAdapter executes the Insert command by calling the commands ExecuteNonQuery method. This does not return any records, so there is no way for the adapter to update the inserted record.

So you need to either use a stored proc, or give up on using the DataAdapter.

What works for me is configuring a MissingSchemaAction:

SqlCommandBuilder commandBuilder = new SqlCommandBuilder(myDataAdapter);
myDataAdapter.MissingSchemaAction = MissingSchemaAction.AddWithKey;

This lets me retrieve the primary key (if it is an identity, or autonumber) after an insert.

Good luck.

The issue for me was where the code was placed.

Add the code in the RowUpdating event handler, something like this:

void dataSet_RowUpdating(object sender, SqlRowUpdatingEventArgs e)
{
    if (e.StatementType == StatementType.Insert)
    {
        e.Command.CommandText += "; SELECT ID = SCOPE_IDENTITY()";
        e.Command.UpdatedRowSource = UpdateRowSource.FirstReturnedRecord;
     }
}

If those other methods didn't work for you, the .Net provided tools (SqlDataAdapter) etc. don't really offer much else regarding flexibility. You generally need to take it to the next level and start doing stuff manually. Stored procedure would be one way to keep using the SqlDataAdapter. Otherwise, you need to move to another data access tool as the .Net data libraries have limits since they design to be simple. If your model doesn't work with their vision, you have to roll your own code at some point/level.