How come I can connect to a database through a datasource control, but not code?

Hi I am trying to open a database connection to a Northwind database. I can open it with a datasource control and return data to a gridview, but can't programically. I get a sqlexception error. this is ust for learning.

Protected Sub Button1_Click(ByVal senderAs Object,ByVal eAs System.EventArgs)Handles Button1.Click
Dim SAs New SqlConnection
Dim builderAs New SqlConnectionStringBuilder

builder("Data Source") =".\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=C:\SQL\NORTHWND.MDF"
builder("Integrated Security") =True
builder("Connect Timeout") = 30
builder("User Instance") =True

S.ConnectionString = builder.ConnectionString

Me.Label1.Text = S.ConnectionString

S.Open()
Me.Label2.Text = S.State.ToString
S.Close()
Me.Label3.Text =Me.SqlDataSource1.ConnectionString.ToString

End Sub

The text in label2 and Label three are identical except there are "" around the datasource.

How come I can connect through the datasource control but not through code?

TallMike:

I get a sqlexception error.

What's the exception?|||

I pasted at the bottom of the reply error below. I tried removing the " " but get a syntax error at

builder("Data Source") =".\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=C:\SQL\NORTHWND.MDF"

Label1 reads

Data Source=".\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=C:\SQL\NORTHWND.MDF";Integrated Security=True;Connect Timeout=30;User Instance=True

Label2 reads "Closed"

Label3 reads

Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=C:\SQL\NORTHWND.MDF;Integrated Security=True;Connect Timeout=30;User Instance=True

I tried running this code but using the ASPNETDB database in my app_code folder, cause I thought it might be a permissions thing and I didn't set any permission after I downloaded Northwind from MS, but I got the same results

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: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 25 - Connection string is not valid)

|||

Seems the connection string is not valid? Check the connectionString refering to 'SqlConnection.ConnectionString Property' topic in VS2005 Documentation.

FYI, here is a typical connection string:

"Persist Security Info=False;Integrated Security=SSPI;Initial Catalog=Northwind;server=(local)"

|||

The connection string you mentioned is for a database on a server. I am trying to connect to a SQL Express database file. The first string in my example works the second doesn't. The only difference is the " "., but you can't use the connection builder without them.

Mike

|||These two ways work

S.ConnectionString ="Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=C:\SQL\NORTHWND.MDF;Integrated Security=True;Connect Timeout=30;User Instance=True"S.ConnectionString = ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings(1).ToString

This way doesn't

builder(

"Data Source") =".\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=C:\SQL\NORTHWND.MDF"

builder(

"Integrated Security") =True

builder(

"Connect Timeout") = 30

builder(

"User Instance") =True

I give up

|||I've not used theSqlConnectionStringBuilder, but it seems to me that this one line:

builder("Data Source") =".\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=C:\SQL\NORTHWND.MDF"

should be 2:

builder("Data Source") =".\SQLEXPRESS"
builder("AttachDbFilename")="C:\SQL\NORTHWND.MDF"

sql