CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sql-serverconnection-stringsqldatasourcelocaldb
nawfal
nawfal

Reputation: 73183

"Server" vs "Data Source" in connection string

I'm new to SqlServer, right now I have SqlLocalDb installed to work locally. Good, but I can see two connection strings typically and both works:

Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Integrated Security=true;

and 

Server=(localdb)\v11.0;Integrated Security=true;

What exact difference is there between the two?

Upvotes: 159

Views: 73340

Answers (4)

Konrad Viltersten
Konrad Viltersten

Reputation: 39118

My favorite set up is one that doesn't contain any spaces. In the simplest form, one has to provide four values - the URL, the container, the user and the credential.

  • server
  • database
  • user (or uid)
  • password (or pwd)

So a connection string looks like this.

server=stuffy.databases.net;database=stuffy;user=konrad;password=Abc123(.)(.);

Upvotes: 10

Damien_The_Unbeliever
Damien_The_Unbeliever

Reputation: 239694

For the full list of all of the connection string keywords, including those that are entirely synonymous, please refer to the SqlConnection.ConnectionString documentation:

These are all entirely equivalent:

  • Data Source
  • Server
  • Address
  • Addr
  • Network Address

Upvotes: 164

Exel Gamboa
Exel Gamboa

Reputation: 946

... There is no difference between Server and Data Source as they represent the same thing for SQL Server : the full name of the SQL Server instance with the syntax "MyComputerName\MyShortInstanceName" , potentially including the port used by the SQL Server instance to communicate.

Reference: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/sqldataaccess/thread/7e3cd9b2-4eed-4103-a07a-5ca2cd33bd21

Upvotes: 20

Oded
Oded

Reputation: 499012

They are synonymous - you can use either one.

That is - as far as the framework is concerned, they are the same.

Upvotes: 13

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