Sharing connection string between two seperate windows forms application?

Question

I am making a line of windows forms applications. I am building the funcionality of an options menu using the application settings tools to keep persistent data and settings. In addition, all applications will allow the user to connect to a database and query data. I am trying to find out a way to put a databse section in the options to allow the user to test and set database options. When set I want the same settings to show up or sync with another application at runtime or when the next time another app is opened.

So far I have been thinking about using the windows registry, or making a project with application settings and adding it to all applications. I also read about using a machine config file. I am not too sure on what is the best or how this would all work when the applications are deployed.

The sharing of settings and/or values is not limited to just a connection string, but any data that may be useful to keep concurrent with all applications.

Answer 1

You can open config files from any place with the ConfigurationManager. With this you can define a central configuration in a directory known to all your applications. See MSDN .

Answer 2

In this case I use SqlServer express, the best free DataBase. In the App.config add this code

    <connectionStrings>
        <add name="MyConnection" connectionString="User ID=sa;Password=XXXXX;Initial Catalog=DATA_BASE_NAME;Data Source=XXXX\SQLEXPRESS"/>
</connectionStrings>

In a Static Class of your application add this method

public static SqlConnection getConnection()
        {
            string conn = string.Empty;
            conn = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["MyConnection"].ConnectionString;
            SqlConnection aConnection = new SqlConnection(conn);
            return aConnection;
        }

When you have need of db connection you call method in this way

SqlConnection aConnection = getConnection();