Connecting to SQL Databases

• Mar 16, 2021

The WinForms Designer allows you to connect to different types of SQL databases in the Data Source Wizard. Follow the steps below to establish a connection to a database:

1. Select the database type in the Data Source wizard to connect to a database. Then, specify connection parameters. For more information on how to connect to different types of SQL databases, refer to the following tutorials:

   • Microsoft SQL Server
   • Microsoft Access 97
   • Microsoft Access 2007
   • MS SQL Server CE
   • Oracle
   • Amazon Redshift
   • Google BigQuery
   • Teradata
   • Firebird
   • IBM DB2
   • MySQL
   • Pervasive PSQL
   • PostgreSQL
   • SAP Sybase Advantage
   • SAP Sybase ASE
   • SAP Sybase SQL Anywhere
   • SQLite
   • VistaDB
   • XML File
   • Custom Connection String

2. Register a data connection in the application’s configuration file. For this, add a connection string to the connectionStrings section.

   XML

   <connectionStrings>
       <add name="nwindConnection" connectionString="XpoProvider=MSSqlServer; data source=localhost; initial catalog=Northwind; integrated security=SSPI;" />
     </connectionStrings>
   

   This connection is displayed for users in the Data Source Wizard when they create a new data source.

   

   For more information, refer to the Register Default Data Connections help topic.