Merge pull request #9286 from haywoodsloan/dotnet-freshness-2025-batch1

CI#6370: .NET Framework freshness review - Batch 1

Author: haywoodsloan

support/developer/dotnet/framework/general/open-database-by-sql-server-dotnet-data-provider.md

@@ -1,52 +1,52 @@
 ---
-title: Open SQL database by VB .NET
-description: Introduces how to open SQL Server databases by using SQL Server .NET Data Provider with Visual Basic .NET.
-ms.date: 05/12/2020
+title: Open SQL Database By Using VB .NET
+description: Introduces how to open SQL Server databases by using SQL Server .NET Data Provider together with Visual Basic .NET.
+ms.date: 07/07/2025
 ms.topic: how-to
 ms.custom: sap:Class Library Namespaces
----
-# Open SQL Server database by using SQL Server .NET Data Provider with Visual Basic .NET  
 
-This article provides information about how to open SQL Server databases by using SQL Server .NET Data Provider with Visual Basic .NET.
+#customer intent: As a developer, I want to open SQL Server databases by using the SQL Server .NET Data Provider together with Visual Basic .NET so that I can integrate SQL Server with my applications. 
+---
+# Open SQL Server database by using SQL Server .NET Data Provider with Visual Basic .NET
 
-_Original product version:_   Visual Basic .NET  
-_Original KB number:_   308656
+This article provides information about how to open Microsoft SQL Server databases by using SQL Server .NET Data Provider together with Visual Basic .NET. You can use ADO.NET to open a SQL Server database by using the SQL Server .NET Data Provider. ADO.NET gathers all the classes that are required for data handling.
 
-## Summary
+The `System.Data.SqlClient` namespace describes a collection of classes that are used to programmatically access a SQL Server data source. You can access ADO classes through the `System.Data.OleDb` namespace to provide support for OLE DB databases.
 
-This article describes how you can use ADO.NET to open a SQL Server database by using the SQL Server .NET data provider. ADO.NET gathers all of the classes that are required for data handling. The `System.Data.SqlClient` namespace describes a collection of classes that are used to programmatically access a SQL Server data source. You can access ADO classes through the `System.Data.OleDb` namespace to provide support for OLE DB databases.
+In this article, connections are set up both programmatically and by using the Visual Studio .NET Server Explorer. The code samples in this article use the `SqlConnection`, `SqlCommand`, and `SqlDataReader` ADO.NET objects.
 
-In this article, connections are set up both programmatically and using the Visual Studio .NET Server Explorer. The code samples in this article use the `SqlConnection`, `SqlCommand`, and `SqlDataReader` ADO.NET objects.
+_Applies to:_ Visual Basic .NET
 
-## Requirements
+_Original KB number:_ 308656
 
-The following list outlines the required hardware, software, network infrastructure, and service packs that you need:
+## Prerequisites
 
 - Microsoft SQL Server
 - Visual Basic .NET
 
-> [!NOTE]  
-> SQL Server and Visual Basic .NET must be installed and running on the same computer. In addition, the user must be able to use Windows Integrated Security to connect to SQL Server.
+> [!NOTE]
+> SQL Server and Visual Basic .NET must be installed and running on the same computer. Additionally, the user must be able to use Windows Integrated Security to connect to SQL Server.
 
 This article assumes that you're familiar with the following topics:
 
 - ADO.NET concepts
 - SQL Server concepts and Transact-SQL (T-SQL) syntax
-- *Northwind* sample database
+- The _Northwind_ sample database
 
 ## Create Visual Basic .NET Windows application
 
-1. Start Visual Studio .NET, and create a new Visual Basic Windows Application project named *SQLDataAccess*.
-2. Open Form1. In the first line of *Form1.vb*, add a reference to the ADO.NET namespace as follows:
+1. In Visual Studio .NET, create a Visual Basic Windows Application project, and name it _SQLDataAccess_.
+2. Open Form1.
+3. In the first line of _Form1.vb_, add a reference to the ADO.NET namespace, as follows:
 
     ```vb
     Imports System.Data.SqlClient
     ```
 
-3. From the Windows **Start** menu, point to **Programs**, point to Microsoft SQL Server, and then click **SQL Server Service Manager** to ensure that the SQL Server service is running on your computer.
-4. Set the **Server** property to the name of your computer, and then set the **Services** property to *MSSQLServer*.
-5. If the service isn't running, click **Start**.
-6. Close the **SQL Server Service Manager** dialog box.
+4. To make sure that the SQL Server service is running on your computer, select **Start**, point to **Programs**, point to Microsoft SQL Server, and then select **SQL Server Service Manager**.
+5. Set the **Server** property to the name of your computer, and then set the **Services** property to _MSSQLServer_.
+6. If the service isn't running, select **Start**.
+7. Close the **SQL Server Service Manager** dialog box.
 
 ## Create ADO.NET objects
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ The `SqlConnection` object establishes a database connection, the `SqlCommand` o
      "Data Source=localhost;Integrated Security=SSPI;")
     ```
 
-2. To set up the `Command` object, which contains the SQL query, add the following code to the `Form1_Load` event procedure:
+2. To set up the `Command` object that contains the SQL query, add the following code to the `Form1_Load` event procedure:
 
     ```vb
     'Create a Command object.
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ The `SqlConnection` object establishes a database connection, the `SqlCommand` o
     myConn.Open()
     ```
 
-`SqlConnection` uses your Windows logon details to connect to the *Northwind* database on your computer.
+`SqlConnection` uses your Windows logon details to connect to the _Northwind_ database on your computer.
 
 ## Use the SqlDataReader object to retrieve data from SQL Server
 
@@ -95,8 +95,9 @@ The `SqlConnection` object establishes a database connection, the `SqlCommand` o
     myReader = myCmd.ExecuteReader()
     ```
 
-2. When the `myCmd.ExecuteReader` method is executed, `SqlCommand` retrieves two fields from the `Employees` table and creates a `SqlDataReader` object.
-3. To display the query results, add the following code to the `Form1_Load` event procedure:
+When the `myCmd.ExecuteReader` method runs, `SqlCommand` retrieves two fields from the `Employees` table and creates a `SqlDataReader` object.
+
+2. To display the query results, add the following code to the `Form1_Load` event procedure:
 
     ```vb
     'Concatenate the query result into a string.
@@ -108,52 +109,53 @@ The `SqlConnection` object establishes a database connection, the `SqlCommand` o
     MsgBox(results)
     ```
 
-    The `myReader.Read` method returns a boolean value, which indicates whether there are more records to be read. The results of the SQL query are displayed in a message box.
+The `myReader.Read` method returns a boolean value that indicates whether there are more records to be read. The results of the SQL query are displayed in a message box.
 
-4. To close the `SqlDataReader` and `SqlConnection` objects, add the following code to the `Form1_Load` event procedure:
+3. To close the `SqlDataReader` and `SqlConnection` objects, add the following code to the `Form1_Load` event procedure:
 
     ```vb
     'Close the reader and the database connection.
      myReader.Close()
      myConn.Close()
     ```
 
-5. Save and run the project.
+4. Save and run the project.
 
 ## View database in Server Explorer
 
-1. On the **View** menu, click Server Explorer.
-2. Right-click **Data Connections**, and then click **Add connection**.
-3. In the **Data Link Properties** dialog box, click localhost in the **Select or enter a server name** box.
-4. Click **Windows NT Integrated Security** to log on to the server.
-5. Click **Select the database on the server**, and then select *Northwind* database from the list.
-6. Click **Test Connection** to validate the connection, and then click **OK**.
-7. In the Server Explorer, click to expand the **Data Connections** tree so that the `Employees` table node expands. The properties of individual fields appear in the **Properties** window.
+1. On the **View** menu, select **Server Explorer**.
+2. Right-click **Data Connections**, and then select **Add connection**.
+3. In the **Data Link Properties** dialog box, select **localhost** in the **Select or enter a server name** box.
+4. To log on to the server, select **Windows NT Integrated Security**.
+5. Select **Select the database on the server**, and then select the _Northwind_ database in the list.
+6. To validate the connection, select **Test Connection**, and then select **OK**.
+7. In the Server Explorer, select to expand the **Data Connections** tree so that the `Employees` table node expands. The properties of individual fields appear in the **Properties** window.
 
 ## Use Server Explorer to open SQL Server connection
 
 1. View Form1 in Design view.
-2. Drag the **FirstName** and **LastName** database fields from `Employees` table in Server Explorer, and drop these fields onto Form1. A `SqlConnection` and `SqlDataAdapter` object are created on the form.
-3. From the **View** menu, click **Toolbox**.
-4. On the **Data** tab, drag a `DataSet` object (DataSet1), and drop it onto the form.
-5. In the **Add Dataset** dialog box, click **Untyped dataset**, and then click **OK**.
-6. Insert a line of code before the `DataReader` and `Connection` objects are closed in the `Form1_Load` event procedure. The end of the procedure should appear as follows:
+2. From the `Employees` table in Server Explorer, drag and drop the **FirstName** and **LastName** database fields onto Form1. This action creates `SqlConnection` and `SqlDataAdapter` objects on the form.
+3. On the **View** menu, select **Toolbox**.
+4. On the **Data** tab, drag and drop a `DataSet` object (DataSet1) onto the form.
+5. In the **Add Dataset** dialog box, select **Untyped dataset**, and then select **OK**.
+6. In the `Form1_Load` event procedure, insert a line of code before the `DataReader` and `Connection` objects are closed to end the procedure, as follows:
 
     ```vb
     SqlDataAdapter1.Fill(DataSet1, "Employees")
     myReader.Close()
     myConn.Close()
     ```
 
-7. On the **Window Forms** tab of the toolbox, drag a DataGrid control, and drop it onto Form1.
-8. To bind the DataGrid to the `DataSet` object that you created earlier, add the following code to the `Form1_Load` event procedure before the `myReader.close()` line of code:
+7. On the **Window Forms** tab of the toolbox, drag and drop a DataGrid control onto Form1.
+8. In the `Form1_Load` event procedure, add the following code before the `myReader.close()` line to bind the DataGrid to the `DataSet` object that you created earlier:
 
     ```vb
     DataGrid1.SetDataBinding(DataSet1, "Employees")
     ```
 
 9. Save and run the project.
 
-## References
+## Related content
 
-For more information about using ADO.NET, refer to the **Data** section of the **Visual Basic** topic in the Visual Studio .NET Help documentation.
+- [ADO.NET](/dotnet/framework/data/adonet/)
+- [Accessing data in Visual Basic applications](/dotnet/visual-basic/developing-apps/accessing-data)