Windows Developer Power Tools

20.2 Creating SQL Connection Strings Quickly with SQL Server Connection String Builder

Connection strings can seem a bit arcane if you don’t work with them regularly. Their syntax is odd, and there are a host of parameters you need to get exactly right. You can certainly use a resource like ConnectionStrings.com to help you out, but what if you don’t have access to an Internet connection?

SQL Server Connection String Builder is a standalone .NET application that can build and test connection strings for you. It’s small enough to leave in a utility folder on your hard disk, waiting for the few times you need it to bail you out of a tough spot.

SQL Server Connection String Builder at a Glance
Tool	SQL Server Connection String Builder
Version covered	1.0
Home page	http://jcmag22.free.fr/index.html
Power Tools page	http://www.windevpowertools.com/tools/108
Summary	Tiny application to bail you out when you need an SQL connection string
License type	Freeware
Online resources	Email
Supported Frameworks	.NET 1.0, 1.1
Related tools in this book	ConnectionStrings.com

Getting Started

Download the tool from its home page and extract it to a folder. SQL Server Connection String Builder is a tiny standalone application (80K!) with no dependencies. It runs only on versions 1.0 and 1.1 of the .NET Framework, but this limitation isn’t really an issue because all you’re doing with it is creating connection strings; you’re ...