Here’s one way:Īnd now you have the best of both worlds at your fingertips – LocalDB and SQL Server instances. If for any reason you ever need to type in the connection to the server for the LocalDB then you’ll need to know the correct syntax to identify it. Click OK and you’ll see the connection in Server Explorer: Then, select the required database file from the dropdown list. Next, select Microsoft SQL Server from the list of options:Ĭlick OK and then type in the Server name : There may be several ways (there usually are!) but here’s what works for me: Use either of the Add Connection options described at the start of this post. If you do have other installations of SQL Server on the same machine – maybe SQL Express from VS 2010 or 2008 – you can of course still connect to them as before. What About Other SQL Server Installations, though? You can set up a new data source in the usual way:
#Visual studio 2017 sql server localdb upgrade#
(If you refer back to the last Add Connection screenshot, you’ll see that I had copied an instance of the Northwind database file into a new folder that’s clearly named to show its purpose.Ĭlick on Yes once you’re sure you’re ready to upgrade this file and the connection will then appear in Server Explorer:Īnd you’re good to go. Note the warning that upgrading the database will make it incompatible with earlier versions of SQL Server. Choose the Database from the Browse tab, if we are creating for the first time. Choose Select Connection from the window. Right Click the Project from the Solution Explorer or from the Project Menu, select Import and choose Database. Once the database file has been selected, click the Open button and you’ll be returned to the dialog:Ĭlicking on the OK button will bring you an error message: Fig.4 Initial look of SQL Server Database Project.
In this example, I’m using (t)rusty old Northwind: The next step is to browse for the database file you want to connect to. Note that the (SqlClient) Data Source option has been selected for you.
This is the standard Add Connection dialog that you’ll probably be familiar with. Using either of these methods will bring you a dialog box: In the Server Explorer, you’ll see a Data Connections menu item, as well as a button you can click to Connect to Database. There are several ways of attaching a SQL Server database as LocalDB. LocalDB is what it sounds like – a database that’s directly tied to the project it’s used in. In the past, SQL Express edition was installed along with Visual Studio and some developers found it difficult to work with, particularly when it came to creating and accessing SQL Server instances. One of the changes in recent editions of Visual Studio has been the introduction of the LocalDB engine.
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