Connection string – Keyword not supported: ‘initial catalog’

I am using Webmatrix.data’s Database entity to create a database connection, however it doesnt like my connection string. I am running it from MVC ASP.net.

Ive tried changing it to server / database, but still errors the same. Where am I going wrong?

        using (var db = Database.OpenConnectionString(@"Data Source=MY-HPServ;Initial Catalog=MyDBSQL;User ID=sa;Password=password"))
        {
            var items = db.Query("SELECT * FROM TaskPriority");
        }

Exception Details: System.ArgumentException: Keyword not supported: ‘initial catalog’.

Answers:

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Method 1

check here: Database.OpenConnectionString Method (String, String)

try to specify the provider name as second parameter, from the MSDN example:

var connectionString = "Data Source=.\SQLExpress;Initial Catalog=SmallBakery;Integrated Security=True";

var providerName = "System.Data.SqlClient";

var db = Database.OpenConnectionString(connectionString, providerName);

Method 2

ARRRRHHHHHH!!!!!
This is the second time I’ve run into this, grrrh – wasted hours on it.

Error:

The server encountered an error processing the request. The exception message is ‘Keyword not supported: ‘initial catalog;MyDatabase;data source’.’. See server logs for more details. The exception stack trace is:

Stacktrace:

at System.Data.Common.DbConnectionOptions.ParseInternal(Hashtable
parsetable, String connectionString, Boolean buildChain, Hashtable
synonyms, Boolean firstKey) at
System.Data.Common.DbConnectionOptions..ctor(String connectionString,
Hashtable synonyms, Boolean useOdbcRules) at
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionString..ctor(String
connectionString) at
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnectionOptions(String
connectionString, DbConnectionOptions previous) at
System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.GetConnectionPoolGroup(DbConnectionPoolKey
key, DbConnectionPoolGroupOptions poolOptions, DbConnectionOptions&
userConnectionOptions) at
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.ConnectionString_Set(DbConnectionPoolKey
key) at
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.set_ConnectionString(String value)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection..ctor(String connectionString,
SqlCredential credential)

This was my faulty connection string:

<add name="Production" connectionString="Password=Secret;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=MyUserID;Initial Catalog;MyDatabase;Data Source=aquickborwnfoxjumpedover.us-west-2.rds.amazonaws.com,1433" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

Looks good right? WRONG

Eventually I spotted the semi-colon here:

Initial Catalog;MyDatabase

To correct it, I used an equal sign:

Initial Catalog=MyDatabase

The correct connection string:

<add name="ConnString" connectionString="Password=Secret;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=MyUserID;Initial Catalog=MyDatabase;Data Source=aquickborwnfoxjumpedover.us-west-2.rds.amazonaws.com,1433" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

Method 3

You can use the below code

Config file :

   <connectionStrings>
   <add name="con" connectionString="Data Source=ServerName;Initial Catalog=master;Integrated Security=SSPI;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"></add>
  </connectionStrings>

cshtmlfile :

var db = Database.Open("con");

var selecteddata = db.Query("select * from movie");

Method 4

I ran into the error in one of the IdentityServer quickstarts.

Had to replace

services.AddDbContext<ApplicationDbContext>(options =>
                options.UseSqlite(Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection")));

With

services.AddDbContext<ApplicationDbContext>(options =>
                options.UseSqlServer(Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection")));

Using

Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer

Because obviously my DB was a Microsoft SQL Server and not SQLite.

Method 5

For me I was getting this error because I was using a templated solution. Unbeknownst to me the template only installed support for sqlite. I had to install Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.SqlServer and change the calls in my code from UseSqlite to UseSqlServer.

Method 6

You need to check your connection string.

I received the error because I had db(instead of ‘Database’) in my connection string.

 "DevConnection": "server=DEL1-XX-XXXX;db=DonationDb;user=sa;password=XXXX"

Updating the above connection string(db to Database) should solve the problem. Below is the working connection string.

 "DevConnection":"server=DEL1-XX-XXXX;Database=DonationDb;user=sa;password=QwerXXXX"

Method 7

I suggest:

1. You can check your connection string format clearly especialy ” and “. In my case this is:

2. You may try generate db by EF again.

All methods was sourced from stackoverflow.com or stackexchange.com, is licensed under cc by-sa 2.5, cc by-sa 3.0 and cc by-sa 4.0