ODBC
Standard Security

Driver={SQL Server};Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;Uid=myUsername;Pwd=myPassword;


Trusted connection

Driver={SQL Server};Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;Trusted_Connection=Yes;

    Prompt for username and password  
    This one is a bit tricky. First you need to set the connection object's Prompt property to adPromptAlways. Then use the connection string to connect to the database.

oConn.Properties("Prompt") = adPromptAlways

Driver={SQL Server};Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;


OLEDB, OleDbConnection (.NET)
Standard Security

Provider=sqloledb;Data Source=myServerAddress;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;User Id=myUsername;Password=myPassword;


Trusted connection

Provider=sqloledb;Data Source=myServerAddress;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;Integrated Security=SSPI;


    Use serverName\instanceName as Data Source to use a specific SQL Server instance. Please note that the multiple SQL Server instances feature is available only from SQL Server version 2000 and not in any previous versions.


    Prompt for username and password
     This one is a bit tricky. First set the connection object's Provider property to "sqloledb". Thereafter set the connection object's Prompt property to adPromptAlways. Then use the connection string to connect to the database.

oConn.Provider = "sqloledb"
oConn.Properties("Prompt") = adPromptAlways

Data Source=myServerAddress;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;


Connect via an IP address

Provider=sqloledb;Data Source=190.190.200.100,1433;Network Library=DBMSSOCN;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;User ID=myUsername;Password=myPassword;
    DBMSSOCN=TCP/IP. This is how to use TCP/IP instead of Named Pipes. At the end of the Data Source is the port to use. 1433 is the default port for SQL Server.
 

SqlConnection (.NET)
Standard Security

Data Source=myServerAddress;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;User Id=myUsername;Password=myPassword;


    Standard Security alternative syntax
    This connection string produce the same result as the previous one. The reason to include it is to point out that some connection string keywords have many equivalents.

Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;User ID=myUsername;Password=myPassword;Trusted_Connection=False;


Trusted Connection

Data Source=myServerAddress;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;Integrated Security=SSPI;

    Trusted Connection alternative syntax
    This connection string produce the same result as the previous one. The reason to include it is to point out that some connection string keywords have many equivalents.
 

Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;Trusted_Connection=True;
    Use serverName\instanceName as Data Source to use a specific SQL Server instance. Please note that the multiple SQL Server instances feature is available only from SQL Server version 2000 and not in any previous versions.

    Trusted Connection from a CE device
    Often a Windows CE device is not authenticated and logged in to a domain. To use SSPI or trusted connection / authentication from a CE device, use this connection string
 

Data Source=myServerAddress;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;Integrated Security=SSPI;User ID=myDomain\myUsername;Password=myPassword;
Note that this will only work on a CE device.


  Connect via an IP address

Data Source=190.190.200.100,1433;Network Library=DBMSSOCN;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;User ID=myUsername;Password=myPassword;
DBMSSOCN=TCP/IP. This is how to use TCP/IP instead of Named Pipes. At the end of the Data Source is the port to use. 1433 is the default port for SQL Server.
 

Specifying packet size

Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;User ID=myUsername;Password=myPassword;Trusted_Connection=False;Packet Size=4096;


  Data Shape MS Data Shape

Provider=MSDataShape;Data Provider=SQLOLEDB;Data Source=myServerAddress;Initial Catalog=myDataBase;User ID=myUsername;Password=myPassword;