Chapter 3. Connections

Before you can perform any task with an ADO.NET data source, you need to open a connection. In ADO.NET, this means creating and using a Connection object. Connection objects are one of the simplest components in ADO.NET, but they encapsulate a fair bit of lower-level functionality, including user authentication information, a connection pooling mechanism, and a network connection (assuming the data source is located on a separate computer).

In this chapter, we'll examine the basics of the ADO.NET Connection object and the connection string settings you can configure. We'll also consider some finer points, including connection pooling—a key to highly scalable database applications—and connection events.