Database created in SQL Server Management Studios cannot be found by Visual Studio 2010

Question

I created a new database (AC_2012) on my localhost in SQL Server 2008 Management Studio.

I'm trying to connect it via connection string in web.config in Visual Studio 2010 Premium. It won't pick it up.

<configuration>
    <configSections>
        <section name="entityFramework" 
                 type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=4.3.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" />
    </configSections>
    <system.web>
        <compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.0" />
    </system.web>
    <connectionStrings>
        <add name="AC_2012" 
             connectionString="server=.\SQLEXPRESS;database=AC_2012; integrated security=True;"
             providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

And here's how I'm trying to call the connection string.. yes it isn't finished..

public static void storedProcedure(string[] paramName, string[] paramValue, string sproc)
{
    SqlConnection conn = null;
    SqlDataReader reader = null;

    try
    {
        string connStr = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["AC_2012"].ConnectionString;
        conn =  new SqlConnection(connStr);
        reader = new SqlDataReader();

        DataTable dt = new DataTable();

        conn.Open();
        SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand(sproc, conn);

        for (int x = 0; x < paramName.Count(); x++)
        {
            cmd.Parameters.Add(new SqlParameter(paramName[x], paramValue[x]));
        }

        reader = cmd.ExecuteReader();

        while (reader.Read())
        {
        }
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    ...

Answer 1

Database names with an underscore _ need to be delimited with square braces [].

Try

connectionString="server=.\SQLEXPRESS;database=[AC_2012]; integrated security=True; "

Alternatively, just don't put an underscore in your database name.