How do I connect to a SQL database from C#?

Question

I am trying to write a local program management and install system for my home network, and I think I\'ve got the technologies nailed down:

• C#/.NET/WPF for the

Answer 1

You can use ADO.Net and System.Data.SqlClient namespace for the same. I will advise you to go with Entities framework (ORM). Please find below links for Entity Framework walk through

http://thedatafarm.com/LearnEntityFramework/tutorials/creating-an-ado-net-entity-framework-entity-data-model/

http://thedatafarm.com/LearnEntityFramework/tutorials/use-an-entity-framework-entity-as-a-winforms-data-source/

Answer 2

Sure of course, you can just use the classes in System.Data.SqlClient, though most people will use an ORM. I use LLBLGen Pro.

Answer 3

I would recommend using Microsoft's Patterns & Practices Enterprise Library. You would specifically be using the The Data Access Application Block.

An excerpt from MSDN:

The Data Access Application Block provides the following benefits:

• It uses the functionality provided by ADO.NET 2.0 and with it, you can use ADO.NET functionality along with the application block's functionality.
• It reduces the need to write boilerplate code to perform standard tasks.
• It helps maintain consistent data access practices, both within an application and across the enterprise.
• It reduces difficulties in changing the database type.
• It relieves developers from learning different programming models for different types of databases.
• It reduces the amount of code that developers must write when they port applications to different types of databases.

I've used this method for years and it's been very successfull thus far. Good luck!

Answer 4

SqlConnection

object is made for this.

Eg:

SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(
    "Data Source=(local);Initial Catalog=Northwind;Integrated Security=SSPI"); 

or

SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(
"Data Source=DatabaseServer; Initial Catalog=Northwind; User ID=YourUserID; Password=YourPassword");

conn.Open(); // opens the database connection

Edit:

After doing all your stuff you have to close the connection by

conn.Close();

Data Source: Identifies the server. Could be local machine, machine domain name, or IP Address.

Initial Catalog: Database name.

Integrated Security: Set to SSPI to make connection with user's Windows login

User ID: Name of user configured in SQL Server.

Password: Password matching SQL Server User ID.

Answer 5

I wish this will help just try these..

@CLASS

using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;

namespace WindowsFormsApplication2
{
class clsDB
{
    public SqlDataAdapter mDataAdapter = new SqlDataAdapter();
    public DataSet mDataSet = new DataSet();
    public SqlConnection mConn;

    public clsDB()
    {
        mConn = new SqlConnection("Data Source=(the data source);Initial Catalog=sample;User ID=(the id);Password=(the password)");
    }



    public void SQLDB(string strSQL)
    {
        try
        {
            mDataAdapter = new SqlDataAdapter(new SqlCommand(strSQL, mConn));
            mDataSet = new DataSet();
            mDataAdapter.Fill(mDataSet);

        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            throw ex;
        }
        finally
        {
            mConn.Close();
        }

    }

    public void ClearRes()
    {
        mDataAdapter.Dispose();
        mDataAdapter = null;
        mDataSet.Dispose();
        if (mConn.State != ConnectionState.Closed)
        {
            mConn.Close();

        }

    }

}
}

@LOGIN

public partial class Login : Form
{
    clsDB x = new clsDB();

    public Login()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void btnSubmit_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
            x.SQLDB("select * from tbl_accounts where u_username ='" + txtUser.Text + "' and u_password ='" + txtPass.Text + "'");
            if (x.mDataSet.Tables[0].Rows.Count > 0)
            {
                Main a = new Main();
                this.Hide();
                a.Show();
            }
            else
            {
                MessageBox.Show("wrong username or password");
            }
    }

@MAIN ACCESS

namespace WindowsFormsApplication2
{
public partial class Main : Form
{
    clsDB x = new clsDB();

    public Main()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void btnAdd_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        x.SQLDB("insert into tbl_info (u_lastname, u_firstname, u_middlename) values ('" + atxtLN.Text + "','" + atxtFN.Text + "','" + atxtFN.Text + "')");
        fillgrid();
    }

    private void Main_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        x.SQLDB(" select * from tbl_info ");
        dgv1.DataSource = x.mDataSet.Tables[0];
        fillgrid();
    }
    void fillgrid()
    {
        x.SQLDB("select * from tbl_info");
        dgv1.DataSource = null;
        dgv1.DataSource = x.mDataSet.Tables[0];
    }
    void search()
    {
        x.SQLDB("SELECT * from tbl_info where u_id  like '" + etxtID.Text + "%' order by u_id");
        if (x.mDataSet.Tables[0].Rows.Count > 0)
        {
            x.mDataAdapter.Fill(x.mDataSet, "tbl_info");
            dgv1.DataSource = x.mDataSet.Tables["tbl_info"].DefaultView;

            etxtLN.Text = dgv1.Rows[dgv1.CurrentRow.Index].Cells["u_lastname"].Value.ToString();
            etxtFN.Text = dgv1.Rows[dgv1.CurrentRow.Index].Cells["u_firstname"].Value.ToString();
            etxtMN.Text = dgv1.Rows[dgv1.CurrentRow.Index].Cells["u_middlename"].Value.ToString();
        }
        else if (etxtID.Text == "Type User ID to Edit")
        {
            etxtLN.Text = "";
            etxtFN.Text = "";
            etxtMN.Text = "";
        }
        else
        {
            etxtLN.Text = "";
            etxtFN.Text = "";
            etxtMN.Text = "";
        }
    }
    private void etxtID_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {

    }

    private void etxtID_Enter(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        etxtID.Text = "";
        etxtID.ForeColor = Color.Black;
    }

    private void etxtID_Leave(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (etxtID.Text == "")
        {
            etxtID.ForeColor = Color.Gray;
            etxtID.Text = "Type User ID to Edit";

            x.SQLDB(" select * from tbl_info ");
            dgv1.DataSource = x.mDataSet.Tables[0];
            fillgrid();
        }
    }

    private void etxtID_KeyUp(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
    {
        search();
    }

    private void btnUpdate_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        x.SQLDB("UPDATE tbl_info set u_lastname ='" + etxtLN.Text + "', u_firstname ='" + etxtFN.Text + "', u_middlename ='" + etxtMN.Text + "' where u_id =" + etxtID.Text);
        MessageBox.Show("Operation Successful!");
        fillgrid();
    }

    private void btnDelete_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        x.SQLDB("delete from tbl_info where u_id =" + dtxtID.Text + "");
        MessageBox.Show("Operation Successful!");
        fillgrid();
    }
}
}

Answer 6

To connect to SQL Server Express you need nothing but System.Data, which is a standard .NET assembly. Just use SqlXXX classes and you'll be done.

However, writing mundane ADO.NET code is very boring, so it's very common to use an ORM or less heavy-weight result-set mapper such as BLToolkit.

And finally, consider using SQL Server CE. This is a fully ACID-compliant single-file embedded database engine which supports pretty much any feature you can expect form an SQL RDBMS.