Connections collection (DAO)

Applies to: Access 2013, Office 2013

Note

ODBCDirect workspaces are not supported in Microsoft Access 2013. Use ADO if you want to access external data sources without using the Microsoft Access database engine.

A Connections collection contains the current Connection objects of a Workspace object. (ODBCDirect workspaces only).

Remarks

When you open a Connection object, it is automatically appended to the Connections collection of the Workspace. When you close a Connection object with the Close method, it is removed from the Connections collection. You should close all open Recordset objects within the Connection before closing it.

At the same time you open a Connection object, a corresponding Database object is created and appended to the Databases collection in the same Workspace, and vice versa. Similarly, when you close the Connection, the corresponding Database is deleted from the Databases collection, and so on.

The Name property setting of a Connection is a string that specifies the path of the database file. To refer to a Connection object in a collection by its ordinal number or by its Name property setting, use any of the following syntax forms:

• Connections(0)

• Connections("name")

• Connections![name]

Note

You can open the same data source more than once, creating duplicate names in the Connections collection. You should assign Connection objects to object variables and refer to them by variable name.

Example

This example demonstrates the Connection object and Connections collection by opening a Database object and two ODBCDirect Connection objects and listing the properties available to each object.

Sub ConnectionObjectX() 
 
   Dim wrkAcc as Workspace 
   Dim dbsNorthwind As Database 
   Dim wrkODBC As Workspace 
   Dim conPubs As Connection 
   Dim conPubs2 As Connection 
   Dim conLoop As Connection 
   Dim prpLoop As Property 
 
   ' Open a Database object. 
   Set wrkAcc = CreateWorkspace("NewWorkspace", _ 
      "admin", "", dbUseJet) 
   Set dbsNorthwind = wrkAcc.OpenDatabase("Northwind.mdb") 
 
   ' Create ODBCDirect Workspace object and open Connection 
   ' objects. 
   Set wrkODBC = CreateWorkspace("NewODBCWorkspace", _ 
      "admin", "", dbUseODBC) 
       
   ' Note: The DSNs referenced below must be configured to  
   '       use Microsoft Windows NT Authentication Mode to  
   '       authorize user access to the Microsoft SQL Server. 
   Set conPubs = wrkODBC.OpenConnection("Connection1", , , _ 
      "ODBC;DATABASE=pubs;DSN=Publishers") 
       
   Set conPubs2 = wrkODBC.OpenConnection("Connection2", , _ 
      True, "ODBC;DATABASE=pubs;DSN=Publishers") 
 
   Debug.Print "Database properties:" 
 
   With dbsNorthwind 
      ' Enumerate Properties collection of Database object. 
      For Each prpLoop In .Properties 
         On Error Resume Next 
         Debug.Print "  " & prpLoop.Name & " = " & _ 
            prpLoop.Value 
         On Error GoTo 0 
      Next prpLoop 
   End With 
 
   ' Enumerate the Connections collection. 
   For Each conLoop In wrkODBC.Connections 
      Debug.Print "Connection properties for " & _ 
         conLoop.Name & ":" 
 
      With conLoop 
         ' Print property values by explicitly calling each 
         ' Property object; the Connection object does not 
         ' support a Properties collection. 
         Debug.Print "  Connect = " & .Connect 
         ' Property actually returns a Database object. 
         Debug.Print "  Database[.Name] = " & _ 
            .Database.Name 
         Debug.Print "  Name = " & .Name 
         Debug.Print "  QueryTimeout = " & .QueryTimeout 
         Debug.Print "  RecordsAffected = " & _ 
            .RecordsAffected 
         Debug.Print "  StillExecuting = " & _ 
            .StillExecuting 
         Debug.Print "  Transactions = " & .Transactions 
         Debug.Print "  Updatable = " & .Updatable 
      End With 
 
   Next conLoop 
 
   dbsNorthwind.Close 
   conPubs.Close 
   conPubs2.Close 
   wrkAcc.Close 
   wrkODBC.Close 
 
End Sub 
 

This example uses the OpenConnection method with different parameters to open three different Connection objects.

Sub OpenConnectionX() 
 
   Dim wrkODBC As Workspace 
   Dim conPubs As Connection 
   Dim conPubs2 As Connection 
   Dim conPubs3 As Connection 
   Dim conLoop As Connection 
 
   ' Create ODBCDirect Workspace object. 
   Set wrkODBC = CreateWorkspace("NewODBCWorkspace", _ 
      "admin", "", dbUseODBC) 
 
   ' Open Connection object using supplied information in  
   ' the connect string. If this information were  
   ' insufficient, you could trap for an error rather than  
   ' go to an ODBC Driver Manager dialog box. 
   MsgBox "Opening Connection1..." 
       
    ' Note: The DSN referenced below must be set to  
    '       use Microsoft Windows NT Authentication Mode to  
    '       authorize user access to the Microsoft SQL Server. 
    Set conPubs = wrkODBC.OpenConnection("Connection1", _ 
       dbDriverNoPrompt, , _ 
       "ODBC;DATABASE=pubs;DSN=Publishers") 
 
   ' Open read-only Connection object based on information  
   ' you enter in the ODBC Driver Manager dialog box. 
   MsgBox "Opening Connection2..." 
   Set conPubs2 = wrkODBC.OpenConnection("Connection2", _ 
      dbDriverPrompt, True, "ODBC;DSN=Publishers;") 
 
   ' Open read-only Connection object by entering only the  
   ' missing information in the ODBC Driver Manager dialog  
   ' box. 
   MsgBox "Opening Connection3..." 
   Set conPubs3 = wrkODBC.OpenConnection("Connection3", _ 
      dbDriverCompleteRequired, True, _ 
      "ODBC;DATABASE=pubs;DSN=Publishers;") 
 
   ' Enumerate the Connections collection. 
   For Each conLoop In wrkODBC.Connections 
      Debug.Print "Connection properties for " & _ 
         conLoop.Name & ":" 
 
      With conLoop 
         ' Print property values by explicitly calling each 
         ' Property object; the Connection object does not 
         ' support a Properties collection. 
         Debug.Print "  Connect = " & .Connect 
         ' Property actually returns a Database object. 
         Debug.Print "  Database[.Name] = " & _ 
            .Database.Name 
         Debug.Print "  Name = " & .Name 
         Debug.Print "  QueryTimeout = " & .QueryTimeout 
         Debug.Print "  RecordsAffected = " & _ 
            .RecordsAffected 
         Debug.Print "  StillExecuting = " & _ 
            .StillExecuting 
         Debug.Print "  Transactions = " & .Transactions 
         Debug.Print "  Updatable = " & .Updatable 
      End With 
 
   Next conLoop 
 
   conPubs.Close 
   conPubs2.Close 
   conPubs3.Close 
   wrkODBC.Close 
 
End Sub