How to: Build an EntityConnection Connection String (Entity Framework)

This topic provides an example of how to build an EntityConnection.

To run the code in this example

1. Add the AdventureWorks Sales Model to your project and configure your project to use the Entity Framework. To do this, do one of the following:

   • If you have the Entity Data Model tools installed, complete the procedure in How to: Use the Entity Data Model Wizard (Entity Framework).

   • Otherwise, complete the procedures in How to: Manually Configure an Entity Framework Project and How to: Manually Define an Entity Data Model (Entity Framework).

2. In the code page for your application, add the following using statements (Imports in Visual Basic):

   Imports System
   Imports System.Collections.Generic
   Imports System.Collections
   Imports System.Data.Common
   Imports System.Data
   Imports System.Data.SqlClient
   Imports System.Data.EntityClient
   Imports System.Data.Metadata.Edm
   Imports System.IO
   ' Add AdventureWorksModel prepended with the root namespace for the project.
   'Imports ProjectName.AdventureWorksModel
   

   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Collections;
   using System.Data.Common;
   using System.Data;
   using System.IO;
   using System.Data.SqlClient;
   using System.Data.EntityClient;
   using AdventureWorksModel;
   using System.Data.Metadata.Edm;
   

Example

The following example initializes System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionStringBuilder for the underlying provider, then initializes the System.Data.EntityClient.EntityConnectionStringBuilder object and passes this object to the constructor of the EntityConnection.

' Specify the provider name, server and database.
Dim providerName As String = "System.Data.SqlClient"
Dim serverName As String = "."
Dim databaseName As String = "AdventureWorks"

' Initialize the connection string builder for the
' underlying provider.
Dim sqlBuilder As New SqlConnectionStringBuilder

' Set the properties for the data source.
sqlBuilder.DataSource = serverName
sqlBuilder.InitialCatalog = databaseName
sqlBuilder.IntegratedSecurity = True

' Build the SqlConnection connection string.
Dim providerString As String = sqlBuilder.ToString

' Initialize the EntityConnectionStringBuilder.
Dim entityBuilder As New EntityConnectionStringBuilder

'Set the provider name.
entityBuilder.Provider = providerName
' Set the provider-specific connection string.
entityBuilder.ProviderConnectionString = providerString
' Set the Metadata location to the current directory.
entityBuilder.Metadata = "res://*/AdventureWorksModel.csdl|" & _
                            "res://*/AdventureWorksModel.ssdl|" & _
                            "res://*/AdventureWorksModel.msl"

Console.WriteLine(entityBuilder.ToString)

Using conn As EntityConnection = New EntityConnection(entityBuilder.ToString)
    conn.Open()
    Console.WriteLine("Just testing the connection.")
    conn.Close()
End Using

// Specify the provider name, server and database.
string providerName = "System.Data.SqlClient";
string serverName = ".";
string databaseName = "AdventureWorks";

// Initialize the connection string builder for the
// underlying provider.
SqlConnectionStringBuilder sqlBuilder =
    new SqlConnectionStringBuilder();

// Set the properties for the data source.
sqlBuilder.DataSource = serverName;
sqlBuilder.InitialCatalog = databaseName;
sqlBuilder.IntegratedSecurity = true;

// Build the SqlConnection connection string.
string providerString = sqlBuilder.ToString();

// Initialize the EntityConnectionStringBuilder.
EntityConnectionStringBuilder entityBuilder =
    new EntityConnectionStringBuilder();

//Set the provider name.
entityBuilder.Provider = providerName;

// Set the provider-specific connection string.
entityBuilder.ProviderConnectionString = providerString;

// Set the Metadata location.
entityBuilder.Metadata = @"res://*/AdventureWorksModel.csdl|
                            res://*/AdventureWorksModel.ssdl|
                            res://*/AdventureWorksModel.msl";
Console.WriteLine(entityBuilder.ToString());

using (EntityConnection conn =
    new EntityConnection(entityBuilder.ToString()))
{
    conn.Open();
    Console.WriteLine("Just testing the connection.");
    conn.Close();
}

See Also

Tasks

How to: Use EntityConnection with an Object Context (Entity Framework)

Other Resources

Working with EntityClient (Entity Framework Tasks)