How to create an Access database by using ADOX and Visual C# .NET

Programmers often need to create databases programmatically. Although neither ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) nor ADO.NET provide the means to create Microsoft Access databases automatically, you can use the Microsoft Jet OLE DB Provider and Microsoft ADO Ext. 2.7 for DDL and Security (ADOX) through the COM Interop layer to create databases manually.

Requirements

• Microsoft Visual C# .NET
• Microsoft ADO Ext. 2.7 for DDL and Security (ADOX)

This step-by-step article describes how to use ADOX and Visual C# .NET to create an Access database manually.

Build an Access Database

1. Open a new Visual C# .NET console application.
2. In Solution Explorer, right-click the References node and select Add Reference.
3. On the COM tab, select Microsoft ADO Ext. 2.7 for DDL and Security, click Select to add it to the Selected Components, and then click OK.
4. Delete all of the code from the code window for Class1.cs.
5. Paste the following code into the code window:

   using System;
   using ADOX;
   
   namespace ConsoleApplication1
   {
   	class Class1
   	{
   		[STAThread]
   		static void Main(string[] args)
   		{
   			ADOX.CatalogClass cat = new ADOX.CatalogClass();
   
   			cat.Create("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" +
   				   "Data Source=D:\\AccessDB\\NewMDB.mdb;" +
   				   "Jet OLEDB:Engine Type=5");
   
   			Console.WriteLine("Database Created Successfully");
   
   			cat = null;
   
   		}
   	}
   }
   					

6. Change the path to the new .mdb file as appropriate, and then press F5 to build and run the project.
   
   The new .mdb file will be created in Access 2000 (Jet 4.0) format. For more information about different Jet formats, see the "References" section of this article.

Pitfalls

To create the new database, the Jet Provider requires the path to exist. If you try to create a database file in a directory that does not exist, you will receivean exception error. You can catch this exception by using a Try...Catch structure.

REFERENCES

For more information about the .NET Framework and the COM Interop layer, visit the following MSDN Web site: