How to retrieve multiple rows from SQL Server database in C# using SqlDataReader?

Question

I am trying to write a method which is supposed to retrieve multiple rows from a table in a database and use those data to instantiate a number of objects. However, as far as i can tell the database only returns the first row. When i do this:

public static List<Event> getMultipleEvents(string[] eventNames)
        {
            List<Event> rtnList = new List<Event>(); 

            string EventsToRetrieve = "";

            foreach (var item in eventNames)
            {
                if (EventsToRetrieve != "")
                {
                    EventsToRetrieve += " OR ";
                }

                EventsToRetrieve += "eventName = '";
                EventsToRetrieve += item;
                EventsToRetrieve += "' ";
            }
            // This is the string that the method constructs based on the input i am testing with 
            //"eventName = 'event six'  OR eventName = ' event two'  OR eventName = ' event one'  OR eventName = ' event seven' "
            using (SqlConnection sqlConnection = Globals.GetSqlConnection())
            {
                sqlConnection.Open();

                using (SqlCommand sqlCommand = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM questions WHERE " + EventsToRetrieve + ";", sqlConnection))
                {
                    using (SqlDataReader sqlDataReader = sqlCommand.ExecuteReader())
                    {
                        if (sqlDataReader != null)
                        {
                                while (sqlDataReader.Read())
                                {
                                    Event newEvent = new Event("", DateTime.MinValue, DateTime.MinValue);

                                    string startDateTimeStringFromDB = sqlDataReader["startDateDay"].ToString() + "-" + sqlDataReader["startDateMonth"].ToString() + "-" + sqlDataReader["startDateYear"].ToString();
                                    string endDateTimeStringFromDB = sqlDataReader["endDateDay"].ToString() + "-" + sqlDataReader["endDateMonth"].ToString() + "-" + sqlDataReader["endDateYear"].ToString();

                                    newEvent.EventName = sqlDataReader["eventName"].ToString();

                                    if (DateTime.TryParse(startDateTimeStringFromDB, out DateTime startDateTime))
                                    {
                                        newEvent.StartDate = startDateTime;
                                    }

                                    if (DateTime.TryParse(endDateTimeStringFromDB, out DateTime endDateTime))
                                    {
                                        newEvent.EndDate = endDateTime;
                                    }
                                    rtnList.Add(newEvent);
                                }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
            return rtnList;
        }

Can anyone explain to me what i am doing wrong ? I Also tried wrapping the while loop in a do while loop as suggested here How to read multiple resultset from SqlDataReader? but it didn't change anything.

Answer 1

It doesn't seem to have any error in your code. however I believe that your query has errors.

First of all never ever use string concatenation when you are building your SQL Query. Instead use Parameterized Queries .

with the parameterized queries, it is even easier to debug your SQL statement since it does not include conditional string concatenations.