HeidiSql connection to MS SQL Server LocalDB

Question

I have been trying in vain to connect to my SQL Server database, attached to the LocalDB instance (localdb)\\v11.0, using HeidiSql and Windows Authentication.

Answer 1

It can work, but is tricky. You need to use the LocalDB named pipe as the Heidi hostname. Using LocalDB V12 for example:

sqllocaldb info
sqllocaldb start MSSQLLocalDB
sqllocaldb info MSSQLLocalDB

The "info" parameter reveals:

\\.\pipe\LOCALDB#12345678\tsql\query

Note the number is a random hash, which complicates things, as you need to keep checking it. It's possible to batch/script the above, with Heidi's command line options.

My command line:

heidisql -d=LocalDB -h=%pipename% -n=3 -d=LocalDB

The -d parameter is used twice intentionally.