Article ID: 305079 - Last Review: May 13, 2007 - Revision: 4.4

How to create a SQL Server database programmatically by using ADO.NET and Visual Basic .NET

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SUMMARY

Programmers often need to create databases programmatically. This article describes how to use ADO.NET and Visual Basic .NET to programmatically create a Microsoft SQL Server database.

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Steps to create the sample

Create a new Visual Basic .NET Windows Application project. Form1 is added to the project by default.
Place a Command button on Form1, and change its Name property to btnCreateDatabase and its Text property to Create Database.
Copy and paste the following line of code into Form1's "general declaration" section:
Imports System.Data.SqlClient

Copy and paste the following code after the region "Windows Form Designer generated code":

Private Sub btnCreateDatabase_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnCreateDatabase.Click
    Dim str As String

    Dim myConn As SqlConnection = New SqlConnection("Server=(local)\netsdk;" & _
                                                    "uid=sa;pwd=;database=master")

    str = "CREATE DATABASE MyDatabase ON PRIMARY " & _
          "(NAME = MyDatabase_Data, " & _
          " FILENAME = 'D:\MyFolder\MyDatabaseData.mdf', " & _
          " SIZE = 2MB, " & _
          " MAXSIZE = 10MB, " & _
          " FILEGROWTH = 10%) " & _
          " LOG ON " & _
          "(NAME = MyDatabase_Log, " & _
          " FILENAME = 'D:\MyFolder\MyDatabaseLog.ldf', " & _
          " SIZE = 1MB, " & _
          " MAXSIZE = 5MB, " & _
          " FILEGROWTH = 10%) "

    Dim myCommand As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand(str, myConn)

    Try
        myConn.Open()
        myCommand.ExecuteNonQuery()
        MessageBox.Show("Database is created successfully", _
                        "MyProgram", MessageBoxButtons.OK, _
                         MessageBoxIcon.Information)
       Catch ex As Exception
           MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString())
       Finally
           If (myConn.State = ConnectionState.Open) Then
               myConn.Close()
           End If
       End Try

End Sub

Change the connection string to point to your SQL Server, and make sure that the Database argument is set to Master or blank.
Press F5 or CTRL+F5 to run the project, and then click Create Database.

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Additional notes

This code creates a custom database with specific properties.
The folder that will hold the created .mdf and .ldf files must already exist before you run the code or an exception will be generated.
If you want to create a database that is similar to SQL Server's Model database and in the default location, then change the str variable in the code:
str = "CREATE DATABASE MyDatabase"

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REFERENCES

For additional information on the CREATE DATABASE Transact-SQL command, see the SQL Server Books Online or MSDN Online Library:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa258257.aspx (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa258257.aspx)

For more information on ADO.NET objects and syntax, see the Microsoft .NET Framework SDK Documentation or MSDN Online:

Accessing Data with ADO.NET
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/e80y5yhx(vs.71).aspx (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/e80y5yhx(vs.71).aspx)

For more general information about ADO.NET or Visual Basic .NET, refer to the following MSDN newsgroups:

microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.adonet (http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.aspx?query=microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.adonet&dg=&cat=en-us-msdn&lang=en&cr=US&pt=&catlist=774F24A2-F71F-425F-AC2B-DC48AB0DA5C9&dglist=&ptlist=&exp=&sloc=en-us)

microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb (http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.aspx?query=microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb&dg=&cat=en-us-msdn&lang=en&cr=US&pt=&catlist=774F24A2-F71F-425F-AC2B-DC48AB0DA5C9&dglist=&ptlist=&exp=&sloc=en-us)

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