Hey guys. I am an old VB6 programmer that is trying to learn VB 2005 and, particularly, ADO.NET. I have the basics down and am pretty much able to get around but there is one nagging question that I cannot seem to find a definitive answer one (I think it is no but wanted someone to confirm).

If I used the Wizard/GUI that comes with VS05 to build my database connections and adapters to, say, and Access MDB file, can I change the source database (via the connection string) to a different MDB that the user would select? From what I can tell, the connectionstring is hard-coded in the app.config file the moment you insert a data source using the wizard in "Data Sources". This, I have concluded, is a read only property and cannot be changed in Run Time.

What I need the app to eventually do is have the ability to select different source database that the user select. For example, a new MDB file will be generated every day by the User 1 (always with the same structure, just new/different records). This app has to be able to allow another, User 2, to navigate and select the new days MDB (via a dialog box), pull in the data, and process it. So if I use the GUI for database connectivity (which is really nice), it seems like the source database could not be changed once compiled. It seems that my options are to either go with some kind of intermediate MDB file that has links to the table of the source database that are somehow repaired by the program or I simply do all of my connects in code that execute at Run Time.

Does that make sense?

Thanks
Ernie

OK, time for the blind to lead the blind here...

As I understand it, the connection that is established is established in code, not in configuration domains. You assertion leads me to believe that the IDE is storing the string identifying the data source in app.config for later retrieval. But notwithstanding that, the actual implementation is in code.

That's the first point. The second is that VB05 breaks up the implementation of what you design into more than one code file, using partial classes.

So. To pull these points together, if you can find the code that takes that string from app.config—using it to establish the connection—and re-implement it in areas that respond to users’ actions and your authoring, you should be able to have an app that does what you are striving to do.

Thanks Brian. That is exactly what I was thinking. The big question here is "Where is that code that I need to intercept?". You would think there has to be a way to do it. I havent had time to look into this so sorry for the delayed response.

Ernie

@aesalazar,
this should work..

 Me.RecipeTableAdapter.Connection = 'new connection string'