Creating Access Database in C# VS2005 - C# Discussion Boards

25-May-07 8:54

Hi,

I am so sorry for this question. I am sure there are a million answers to it. In fact, I found some articles on it but when I tried running them, I kept getting errors. I think they were for an older version of VS because sometimes it would try to convert them when I load them up. I have done the RSS reader training from MSDN - to give you an idea of where I am regarding my knowledge level.

Here is exactly what I want to do;
I am developing my first non-training related application. It is a simple finance application but I want the user to be able to create the database with the name and location of his choice. I have read book after book and article after article about databases in VS and almost all of them use the wizard to create the database and tables, etc. The ones that don't give me compile time errors. I want the program (under user control) to create the database at runtime. He can either click on a toolbar icon or go Menu/File/New. I can do the form related things but this database thing is kicking me around the block. I looked up create database in the msdn library help and it keeps giving me t-sql commands and scripts but the user will not have sql server installed so I can't do that. It is beyond me why this is so hard for me to find.

Ciao
bb

Not Active25-May-07 9:37

25-May-07 9:37

Use SQL Server Express instead of Access. It's free and you can use the SQL commands you have read about.

only two letters away from being an asset

brickbat26-May-07 6:40

26-May-07 6:40

um..ok but how do I do that. Like I said, when I tried the examples I have seen like this one (http://www.codeproject.com/cs/database/DBInstaller1.asp), I kept getting errors.

Not Active26-May-07 7:05

26-May-07 7:05

Perhaps you would care to elaborate and tell us what errors. "I kept getting errors" isn't very helpful. How would you solve a problem with level of information?

only two letters away from being an asset

brickbat26-May-07 9:34

26-May-07 9:34

Firstly, regarding the errors related to loading up the sample I referenced in my last post, they arise from the Visual Studio Conversion Wizard. It does not specify the errors other than saying that there was a conversion error with banner.jpg

Secondly, I think I gave enough information in my original post. If you didn't read it, I will repeat it.

I am developing my first non-training related application. It is a simple finance application but I want the user to be able to create the database with the name and location of his choice. I have read book after book and article after article about databases in VS and almost all of them use the wizard to create the database and tables, etc. I want the program (under user control) to create the database at runtime. He can either click on a toolbar icon or go Menu/File/New.

If someone knows the answer, I would appreciate a proper reply - preferably with a snippet of sample code.

Not Active26-May-07 12:22

Re: Creating Access Database in C# VS2005 [modified]

26-May-07 12:22

First issue. Contact the author if you havne't done so already.

Second issue. Be specific. What have you tried? What are the issues you are having?

brickbat wrote:
If someone knows the answer, I would appreciate a proper reply

Proper reply? It took three posts for you mention the errors were from the conversion wizard and not code related. If you want a "proper" reply, then provide the details necessary for us to help you.

brickbat wrote:
preferably with a snippet of sample code.

I find it difficult to believe that after reading all the references you say, you did not find any example of a sql statement to CREATE DATABASE.

only two letters away from being an asset

brickbat26-May-07 19:57

26-May-07 19:57

You are right. I did find several references to it and I can't get them to work. Here is where I got.

         <br />
using System;<br />
using System.Collections.Generic;<br />
using System.ComponentModel;<br />
using System.Data;<br />
using System.Data.SqlClient;<br />
using System.Drawing;<br />
using System.Text;<br />
using System.Windows.Forms;<br />
<br />
namespace Project<br />
{<br />
    public partial class Form1 : Form<br />
    {<br />
        public Form1()<br />
        {<br />
            InitializeComponent();<br />
            toolStripStatusLabel1.Text = "";<br />
        }<br />
        public void NewStatus()<br />
        {<br />
<br />
        }<br />
        public void CreateDatabase()<br />
        {<br />
            string sCreateDatabase = "CREATE DATABASE Projectdb9";        <br />
            SqlConnection mycon = new SqlConnection();<br />
            mycon.ConnectionString = "Data Source=.\\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated Security=True;Connect Timeout=30;User Instance=True";<br />
<br />
            SqlCommand mycomm = new SqlCommand();<br />
            mycomm.CommandType = CommandType.Text;<br />
            mycomm.CommandText = sCreateDatabase;<br />
            mycomm.Connection = mycon;<br />
<br />
            try<br />
            {<br />
                //	Open the connection<br />
                mycon.Open();<br />
                //	Execute CreateDatabase query<br />
                mycomm.ExecuteNonQuery();<br />
            }<br />
            catch<br />
            {<br />
                //	Catch any errors and show the error message<br />
                toolStripStatusLabel1.Text = "Database Creation Error ";<br />
            }<br />
            finally<br />
            {<br />
                mycon.Close();<br />
            }<br />
<br />
        }<br />
<br />
        private void newToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)<br />
        {<br />
            CreateDatabase();<br />
        }<br />
<br />
        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)<br />
        {<br />
<br />
        }	<br />
    }<br />
}<br />

But I know its wrong. Firstly, I can't figure out where to set the path. In all the references I found, I can't find anything about setting the path so I think I am creating an SQL database on an SQL server which is NOT what I want. Thats why I didn't post my code straight away. I would rather get a simple answer to my question instead of people being confused about what I want by my code and fixing it but still leaving me with the wrong solution.

n instead of people being confused about what I want by my code and fixing it but still leaving me with the wrong solution.

brickbat27-May-07 2:45

27-May-07 2:45

Thankfully someone at the MSDN network pointed me in the right direction. For those that might have the same problem, here is the answer.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/317881

As I thought, unless you want the user installing an SQL server on his machine, the best course is to use an access database.

Here is some code

<br />
using System;<br />
using System.Collections.Generic;<br />
using System.ComponentModel;<br />
using System.Data;<br />
using ADOX;<br />
using System.Drawing;<br />
using System.Text;<br />
using System.Windows.Forms;<br />
<br />
namespace Project<br />
{<br />
    public partial class Form1 : Form<br />
    {<br />
        public Form1()<br />
        {<br />
            InitializeComponent();<br />
            toolStripStatusLabel1.Text = "";<br />
        }<br />
        public void NewStatus()<br />
        {<br />
<br />
        }<br />
        public void CreateDatabase()<br />
        {<br />
<br />
            ADOX.CatalogClass cat = new ADOX.CatalogClass();<br />
<br />
            cat.Create("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" +<br />
                   "Data Source=D:\\Projectdb.mdb;" +<br />
                   "Jet OLEDB:Engine Type=5");<br />
<br />
            toolStripStatusLabel1.Text = "Database Created Successfully";<br />
<br />
            cat = null;<br />
<br />
 <br />
<br />
        }<br />
<br />
        private void newToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)<br />
        {<br />
            CreateDatabase();<br />
        }<br />
<br />
        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)<br />
        {<br />
<br />
        }	<br />
    }<br />
}<br />

As you can see, there is a place for the path and now I just need to add a little code to get the name and location selection from the user and its done. Well, there is the adding of tables,keys,etc to be done too.

Not Active27-May-07 4:55

27-May-07 4:55

As I stated orginially Access is not the best choice. Using SQL Server Express provides for better scalablity and functionality, easier programming model, etc., not to mention that the code you posted previously would have worked, without this long thread and all your self-imposed problems.

only two letters away from being an asset

brickbat27-May-07 5:14

27-May-07 5:14

You have not given one piece of usable advice. Are you a troll?

- You say "Use sql" but when I ask how, you give no examples and you ask me for what I have tried.
- When I ask how to specify the path for the database, you ignore it.
- When I post my erroneous code, you say it works.

Useless, Useless, Useless.

Paul Conrad27-May-07 7:01

Paul Conrad

27-May-07 7:01

brickbat wrote:
Are you a troll?

Trolls aren't given MVPs....

brickbat wrote:
You have not given one piece of usable advice.

He has. I'll add, use SQL Express instead of Access...

Not Active27-May-07 5:00

27-May-07 5:00

brickbat wrote:
Data Source=.\\SQLEXPRESS

This is the path. It is the local instance of SQL Server Express that has been installed on the system the applicaiton is running on. You could also use something like Data Source=MyDB.mdf for a file based database for the application.

Again, with all of the refences you have claimed to have read I find it difficult to believe this has not been explained.

only two letters away from being an asset

brickbat27-May-07 19:51

27-May-07 19:51

That doesn't work.

brickbat27-May-07 22:16

27-May-07 22:16

To the trolls, MVP or not - Thanks for no help. Here is correctly working code for those that might be interested. Obviously, the Server location, the database and logfile paths, and the size parameters may need to be changed to suit the application. I will not be using this because as I thought, you need to have an sql server running for this to work. I will not require my users to have an sql server constantly running because of a small finance application which they may use once per month.

Here is correctly working code

<br />
            String str;<br />
            SqlConnection myConn = new SqlConnection("Server=local\\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated security=SSPI;database=master");<br />
<br />
            str = "CREATE DATABASE MyDatabase ON PRIMARY " +<br />
                "(NAME = MyDatabase_Data, " +<br />
                "FILENAME = 'E:\\MyDatabaseData2.mdf', " +<br />
                "SIZE = 2MB, MAXSIZE = 10MB, FILEGROWTH = 10%) " +<br />
                "LOG ON (NAME = MyDatabase_Log, " +<br />
                "FILENAME = 'E:\\MyDatabaseLog2.ldf', " +<br />
                "SIZE = 1MB, " +<br />
                "MAXSIZE = 5MB, " +<br />
                "FILEGROWTH = 10%)";<br />
<br />
            SqlCommand myCommand = new SqlCommand(str, myConn);<br />
            try<br />
            {<br />
                myConn.Open();<br />
                myCommand.ExecuteNonQuery();<br />
            }<br />
            catch (System.Exception ex)<br />
            {<br />
                MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString(), "MyProgram", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);<br />
            }<br />
            finally<br />
            {<br />
                if (myConn.State == ConnectionState.Open)<br />
                {<br />
                    myConn.Close();<br />
                }<br />
            }<br />

brickbat27-May-07 22:20