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Using ADO.NET with SQL Server

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By James Crowley, published on 16 Feb 2004
Page 1 of 5
  1. Introduction
  2. Executing a SQL query and SqlDataReader
  3. Stored Procedures and other queries with parameter
  4. Using the DataSet
  5. Doing without CommandBuilder & Wrapping Up

Introduction

Using ADO.NET with SQL Server and Access

As a developer, I find that an incredible amount of my time is spent dealing with databases in some form or another - be it displaying, manipulating or analyzing data; creating client or server applications. The advent of the .NET Framework has brought with it some major changes, and database access is certainly no exception. Although ADO has been around since 1996, with the arrival of ASP, its latest incarnation present in the .NET Framework - ADO.NET - really does represent its coming-of-age. This new architecture is so extensive, that I can only hope to give you a brief introduction. Although the article is using the SQL server data access components, much applies equally as well to using Microsoft Access. We'll be covering connecting to a SQL Server database, executing queries, calling stored procedures, filtering data, and reflecting changes in a database - and point you in the direction of further resources for more in-depth discussions on particular topics. I've provided code in both VB and C# if there are any major syntatical differences, and the rest in C#.

If you've got any comments, or if I've made any stupid mistakes, then feel free to drop me a line!

Connecting to the database

In order to use ADO.NET, we'll need to import two namespaces:

[VB]
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Data.SqlClient

[C#]
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;

In order to establish a connection with SQL Server, we use the SqlConnection object. There are also generic OleDbConnection and OdbcConnection objects present in the System.Data.OleDb and System.Data.Odbc namespaces for use with other data sources such as Access (NB: support for ODBC was added in .NET 1.1). This would work in exactly the same way as illustrated here, but as Microsoft were kind enough to provide a data access class specifically optimized for SQL server, we might as well take advantage of it! If you're using Access, then you can literally replace every occurence of SqlSomething with OleDbSomething.

Opening a connection is very simple:

[VB]
' create a new SqlConnection object with the appropriate connection string
Dim sqlConn As New SqlConnection(connectionString) 'OleDbConnection i
' open the connection
sqlConn.Open()
// do some operations here...
// close the connection
sqlConn.Close()

[C#]
// create a new SqlConnection object with the appropriate connection string
SqlConnection sqlConn = new SqlConnection(connectionString)
// open the connection
sqlConn.Open();
// do some operations ...
// close the connection
sqlConn.Close();

with the connection string usually taking this form:

server=serverAddress;uid=username;pwd=password;database=database;

It is probably worth noting at this stage something about connection pooling. The idea behind connection pooling is simple - instead of incurring a large amount of overhead each time a connection to database server is established and closed, once a connection has been opened, it remains open for the lifetime of the process, available to be used again if needed. Pooling database connections can significantly enhance the performance and scalability of your application. The .NET data providers automatically pool connections for you. However, to take maximum advantage of these, you should take note of the following:

  • Connections are only pooled if they have the same connection string; so ensure this is always constant.
  • When finished with a SqlConnection object, call Dispose() or Close() to release the connection back to the pool.
  • In order to keep the maximum number of connections available, you should keep connections open for a short as period as possible - remembering that thanks to connection pooling, re-opening a database connection will incur little overhead.

For more information on connection pooling, take a look at this MSDN page.

Once open, you can't do much with a SqlConnection object on its own - other than close the connection again, and query its connection status using the ConnectionState property, so we'll move on to how we go about querying the database.

Comments

  1. Manjot Bawa
    11 Jun 2009 at 06:00

    The new VSTS enables you to convert your imagination into the perfect material images on screen ! Let your mind do the thinking and VSTS will do the rest ..... http://bit.ly/izsu9

  2. Phil Karras
    20 Apr 2009 at 14:48
    I can't seem to get the hang of sending code, I clicked on "code" but it still didn't work, so a few extra blank lines might make it clearer? My version of your code gives an error when trying to DataBind it: "The data source does not support server-side data paging." what am I doing wrong? -pk string sql = "select * from casefolder"; SqlConnection sqlConn = new SqlConnection(connectionString); // Sets up the connection, it is closed here -pk01 sqlConn.Open(); SqlCommand sqlComm = new SqlCommand("select * from casefolder", sqlConn); SqlDataReader r = sqlComm.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior.CloseConnection); gridCases.DataSource = r; // Call to DataBind needed in ASP.NET - Fails at this point: "The data source does not support server-side data paging." -pk01 gridCases.DataBind(); sqlConn.Close();
  3. Phil Karras
    20 Apr 2009 at 14:45
    Sorry about that! See if this works better. -pk My version of your code gives an error when trying to DataBind it: "The data source does not support server-side data paging." what am I doing wrong? -pk string sql = "select * from casefolder"; SqlConnection sqlConn = new SqlConnection(connectionString); // Sets up the connection, it is closed here -pk01 sqlConn.Open(); SqlCommand sqlComm = new SqlCommand("select * from casefolder", sqlConn); SqlDataReader r = sqlComm.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior.CloseConnection); gridCases.DataSource = r; // Call to DataBind needed in ASP.NET - Fails at this point: "The data source does not support server-side data paging." -pk01 gridCases.DataBind(); sqlConn.Close();
  4. Phil Karras
    20 Apr 2009 at 14:42
    My version of your code gives an error when trying to DataBind it: "The data source does not support server-side data paging." what am I doing wrong? -pk string sql = "select * from casefolder"; SqlConnection sqlConn = new SqlConnection(connectionString); // Sets up the connection, it is closed here -pk01 sqlConn.Open(); SqlCommand sqlComm = new SqlCommand("select * from casefolder", sqlConn); SqlDataReader r = sqlComm.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior.CloseConnection); gridCases.DataSource = r; // Call to DataBind needed in ASP.NET - Fails at this point: "The data source does not support server-side data paging." -pk01 gridCases.DataBind(); sqlConn.Close();
  5. john mott
    05 Sep 2007 at 20:32

    Excellant article, very meaty and precise!

    Here is a little utility for helping get the precise sequence of objects correct for a particular combination of request/data type, at least for SqlClient

    http://www.nicecleanexample.com/Tools/SqlBuilder/SqlClient.aspx

    jk

     

  6. amischief
    04 Jun 2007 at 12:55

    Hi, finally getting somewhere with my understanding of ADO but am still a bit lost with my predicament.

    I have an Empress (SQL) database on a Linux server that I want to link to an MS Access database on a Win2000 PC (they are both on the same closed network).

    Although I have read and understood the topic and have tried and failed to get my link to work I have somehow managed to get myself stuck in a neverending loop of confusion. I think I'm trying to do too many things with too many programming languages at the minute and am one stage away from placing my underpants on my head with a pencil up each nostril and need someone to guide me through to the next stage before I implode!

    Thanks

  7. enzo menoni
    18 Mar 2007 at 22:40

    Hi Folks,

    I keep getting this error when trying to connect to my sql dbase.

    An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server.  When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server)

    I'm currently learning to use vb.net and sql server, so i am a novice. Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

    kindest regards.

  8. krutika gambhir
    19 Feb 2007 at 09:39
    hey pls need help wit the connection string for using sql server wit ado.net. im not gettin the code lines for the connection .please help.its urgent
  9. Barry Sumpter
    09 Feb 2007 at 05:49
    Hi all,

    After spending about 6 months part-time experimenting with the 2005 pro vb.net interface using wizards, its my opinion that wizards should NOT be used to develop anything but fixed database prototypes.

    I had actually started using code in 2005 but it was crashing so much that I tried the wizards.
    The wizards didn't crash so much when building solutions.  I thought I had finally found a code generator that actually worked.  Come to find out only up to a point.

    Once I started using the wizard, I had so many work arounds and crashes from attempting to change a database field that I finally gave up.  Some of the crashes were so bad they actually corrupted files.

    The wizards are there just to "wow" unsuspecting parties into thinking its super easy to use.
    Its not.  Its super easy to use exactly how they demo in the limited way of the drag-n-drop features and thats all.

    Absolutly no support or demos regarding how to modify once built.
    I tried chasing down the code behind the wizards but like every other code generator its so complex its propriatary and very easy to break.

    Don't use the wizards as a coder.  Develop everything in code.

    I could suggest only to use the wizards on a fixed database and never try to modify the db or the code.
    Just re-wizards everything.

    Or use the wizards to dupe unsuspecting clients into thinking its easy to use.

    So please, please don't waste your time using the wizards.

    ---------------

    James Crowley wrote:
    This was still aimed with code-behind in mind. However, I've found a large number of people happily dragging and dropping components from the toolbox, or using the Microsoft wizards, with no real idea as to what each object actually *does*. Although the wizards are great time savers for many things, personally I still prefer writing my own logic for making calls to database stored procedures etc. But maybe I'm a control freak! In terms of layer segregation - there's no hint of layout code here. At the most, we're setting the DataSource for a datagrid - and then presumably the .aspx page would be dealing with the layout/appearance.


























  10. fakhi84
    05 Jan 2007 at 05:52

    hello,

    hey very gud article. but i am facing  a problem that when i connect to SQLServer usisng C# it doesnt allowed me to connect by saying its not a valid user. as i am using Windows authentication for connecting to the SQLServer

  11. fakhi84
    05 Jan 2007 at 05:47

    hello,

    hey very gud article. but i am facing  a problem that when i connect to SQLServer usisng C# it doesnt allowed me to connect by saying its a valid user. as i am using Windows authentication for connecting to the SQLServer

  12. sukanta dass
    22 Sep 2006 at 09:54

    dear sir,

    i 'm facing some problem in insert data from an application to database using dataset. pls. help me in parameterised insert data into a datasource.

     

    sukanta

  13. Alasia Delgado
    01 Aug 2006 at 02:00

            Great article, very helpfull. Although I'm writing because I have lingering doubts on the subject in general, I've been programming with visual basic, all the way from 6.0 to 2005 and several database managers, and I've generally avoided the use of datasets, datatables, etc etc, I work writing my updates, inserts and deletes (you have to set them up anyway using datasets), and fill my datagrids using arraylists of the objects I build, which gives me certain freedom populating them, since I can manipulate the data before showing it... on the other hand, I've also found confusing the interaction between tables and datatables with an auto-numeric value, could more likely be lack of experience, but it creates dificulties that I do not have working more directly with the database itself... So my question is, mainly, why use datasets, datatables and so on? what definites advantegaes do I get from using them instead of working with the queries myself? (which by the way I hear is faster (in runtime), and cleaner...) .. Any thoughts would be welcome of course, I'm just looking for opinions...

     Thanks!

    Alita

  14. Trilarian
    15 Mar 2006 at 18:24
    Very nice article.  It helped me a lot in converting some VB6 code to VB .NET 2005.  The only thing I would add is a message at the top that this is for VS 2003.  In VS 2005 they have made some minor changes to the syntax and the above code would not work.  Ex.

    Dim sqlConn As New SqlConnection(connectionString)



    would now be:

    Dim sqlConn as New SqlClient.SqlConnection(connectionString)





  15. nsuresh_rasr
    21 Jan 2005 at 04:57

    It was really useful in reading this article. great stuff... could have explained the update method little  bit in detail.
    Thanks for the good work though....
    Take care,
    Suresh.N

  16. Martin Moerman
    29 Nov 2004 at 14:45

    I am very happy !


    I wanted to know how the asp.net database stuff exactly works.. and well here it is..
    step by step.


    Thnx
    /mamoman

  17. James Crowley
    14 Apr 2004 at 08:24
    This was still aimed with code-behind in mind. However, I've found a large number of people happily dragging and dropping components from the toolbox, or using the Microsoft wizards, with no real idea as to what each object actually *does*. Although the wizards are great time savers for many things, personally I still prefer writing my own logic for making calls to database stored procedures etc. But maybe I'm a control freak!

    In terms of layer segregation - there's no hint of layout code here. At the most, we're setting the DataSource for a datagrid - and then presumably the .aspx page would be dealing with the layout/appearance.

  18. Tim Farrell
    07 Apr 2004 at 14:40

    I wanted to know if this article was written with inline code in mind or code-behind.


    It would appear to me to be written from an inline perspective but I am new to this and may be wrong.


    I am desperately looking for someone to write something that is geared more towards (what I thought was ) the Microsoft vision.  Where the developer is using the full functionality of the IDE in terms of the drag and drop features and connecting the controls via the code-behind page.  This would also allow for segregation between layers (presentation, business, database).


    Do you know where I can find such a tutorial?


    Thank you for your time.


    Sincerely,


    Tim

  19. Kai Chen
    01 Apr 2004 at 16:33

    Very clear and concise, well done! Keen to read your next article on this topic...

  20. Abhinav Shrivastava
    30 Mar 2004 at 06:04

    Bravo!! James...... You wrote that article so fine....so lucid it is....Got a good insight into Ado.net.
    Would like to see you going into more details on it...Well Done!!

  21. James Crowley
    02 Mar 2004 at 12:33
    yeah. I haven't quite figured out how to get time to write more of these!
  22. John Braga
    29 Feb 2004 at 04:02

    I enjoyed this article.  Clearly constructed, good basic examples, logical progression of complexity.  All fairly basic stuff, but a good grounding.


    Thank you!


  23. Luke Lesurf
    26 Feb 2004 at 07:32

    is there anything you dont know?

  24. Developer Fusion Bot
    01 Jan 1999 at 00:00

    This thread is for discussions of Using ADO.NET with SQL Server.

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.net, ado.net, c#, sql, sql server
James Crowley James first started this website when learning Visual Basic back in 1999 whilst studying his GCSEs. The site grew steadily over the years while being run as a hobby - to a regular monthly audience ...

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