Keyword not supported: 'attachdbfilename' - MDF Database File (C#)

2
votes

I trying connect to my .MDF file but I am not able to accomplish it. I tried various variations of connection strings but still getting this same error.

This my connection string from app.config

<connectionStrings>
    <add name="DBConnection"
         connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDB)\MSSQLLocalDB;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\iseo-db.mdf;Integrated Security=True"
         providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>

and this is how I call this connection string 

private string connection = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["DBConnection"].ToString();

SqlCeConnection con = new SqlCeConnection(connection);

When every I try execute I get a exception saying

Keyword not supported: 'attachdbfilename'

I would really appreciate any help on this problem.

3
c#databasesql-server-ceconnection-string
.mdf is a database file for the full SQL Server - NOT SQL Server CE. And the full SQL Server supports the AttachDbFileName= statement only in the SQL Server Express edition. For SQL Server CE, you need to use a .sdf database file, and another providerName in your connection string, too - marc_s

3 Answers

1
votes

As far as i know, SQL-Server CE does not use mdf files, rather than sdf files. Futhermore you don't have to use the property AttachDbFilename, then simply use the property Data Source=....

 <add name="DBConnection"
      connectionString="Data Source=|DataDirectory|/iseo-db.sdf;Integrated Security=True"
      providerName="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0" />

Some thing like this should do the trick.

EDIT

According to @marc_s, the data provider also has to be changed to: System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0

0
votes

You should use SqlConnection if you are using LocalDB. LocalDB is not SQL Server compact edition. It is the full SQL Server.

Compact edition is deprecated and you shouldn't use it. Per documentation, you can use LocalDB if you want a "local file" database just like compact edition. But it works with the full SQL Server provider. That is why you are getting this exception.

Your configuration is fine. You just have to change you connection creation code to use SqlConnection instead of SqlCeConnection. 

private string connection = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["DBConnection"].ToString();

SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(connection);

I know you have accepted the other answer. I don't care. I just want to warn people against continuing to use SQL Server CE. You will have trouble in the near future.

0
votes

As you are using .mdf file you can't use SqlCeConnection instead you should use SqlConnection to connect to the database. For that, you need to use System.Data and System.Data.SqlClient.

private string connection ="Data Source=(LocalDB)\MSSQLLocalDB;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\iseo-db.mdf;Integrated Security=True" 

SqlConnection con = new SqlConnection(connection);

Make sure that you are not using SqlCe any where in your code.