Cannot connect to local database in C#

Question

So, I have the following code for connecting and inserting a record into a database:

string dbfile = "|DataDirectory|\\Databases\\Database.sdf";
            SqlConnection connection = new SqlConnection("Data Source=" + dbfile);
            SqlCommand query = new SqlCommand("insert into Leggers values('" + leggernummer + "','" + omschrijving + "')", connection);
            ** connection.Open(); **
            query.BeginExecuteNonQuery();

            connection.Close();

My configuration file looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
    <configSections>
    </configSections>
    <connectionStrings>
        <add name="connectionstring"
            connectionString="Data Source=|DataDirectory|\Databases\Database.sdf"
            providerName="Microsoft.SqlServerCe.Client.3.5" />
    </connectionStrings>
</configuration>

It then gives an error on the part between ** and ** in the first code block

The error is:

System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException was unhandled
  Message=A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified)
  Source=.Net SqlClient Data Provider
  ErrorCode=-2146232060
  Class=20
  LineNumber=0
  Number=-1
  Server=""
  State=0
  StackTrace:
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning()
       at System.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Connect(ServerInfo serverInfo, SqlInternalConnectionTds connHandler, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, Boolean encrypt, Boolean trustServerCert, Boolean integratedSecurity)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.AttemptOneLogin(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, TimeoutTimer timeout, SqlConnection owningObject)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.LoginNoFailover(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnection owningObject, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, TimeoutTimer timeout)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.OpenLoginEnlist(SqlConnection owningObject, TimeoutTimer timeout, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, String newPassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SqlConnection owningObject, Boolean redirectedUserInstance)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection)
       at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreatePooledConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnectionOptions options)
       at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.CreateObject(DbConnection owningObject)
       at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.UserCreateRequest(DbConnection owningObject)
       at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionPool.GetConnection(DbConnection owningObject)
       at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.GetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection)
       at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.OpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory)
       at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open()
       at Stockbeheer_Savenay.Forms.LeggerToevoegen.addItem(String leggernummer, String omschrijving) in C:\Users\Simon\Desktop\Stockbeheer Savenay\Stockbeheer Savenay\Forms\LeggerToevoegen.cs:line 59
       at Stockbeheer_Savenay.Forms.LeggerToevoegen.btnToevoegen_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in C:\Users\Simon\Desktop\Stockbeheer Savenay\Stockbeheer Savenay\Forms\LeggerToevoegen.cs:line 31
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.DebuggableCallback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
       at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG& msg)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(IntPtr dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.Run(Form mainForm)
       at Stockbeheer_Savenay.Program.Main() in C:\Users\Simon\Desktop\Stockbeheer Savenay\Stockbeheer Savenay\Classes\Program.cs:line 18
       at System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(RuntimeAssembly assembly, String[] args)
       at System.AppDomain.ExecuteAssembly(String assemblyFile, Evidence assemblySecurity, String[] args)
       at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssembly()
       at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state, Boolean ignoreSyncCtx)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
  InnerException: 

I'm new to databases in C#, so I'm not sure what has gone wrong. Tried to follow tutorials, but they all say different things, so it's quite hard to figure out what exactly I should do.

Thanks!

Answer 1

When using a .sdf file (SQL Server Compact Edition), you need to use SqlCeConnection and not SqlConnection (that works against a full SQL Server):

string dbfile = "|DataDirectory|\\Databases\\Database.sdf";

string insertStmt = "insert into Leggers values('" + leggernummer + "','" + omschrijving + "')";

using(SqlCeConnection connection = new SqlCeConnection("Data Source=" + dbfile))
using(SqlCeCommand query = new SqlCeCommand(insertStmt, connection))
{
    connection.Open();
    query.BeginExecuteNonQuery();
    connection.Close();
}

Also: you should try to use parametrized queries and not just concatenate together your SQL statements... (research "SQL Injection Attacks"....)