Using a DSN

You can specify data source names (DSNs) in some connections. A DSN is a type of shortcut you create in Windows to represent a connection string.

For example, suppose you have a Microsoft SQL Server database called Precinct located on a server called Kojak. To gain access to the database, you must enter the user name columbo and the password savalas7. After using these parameters to define a DSN called ourcops, you can create the connection by entering the single word ourcops in Dreamweaver instead of all the other parameters.

If your application server is running on a Windows system and you defined a DSN on that system, then you can use the DSN to define an ASP or JSP connection.

If you do not have physical access to a server--and so are unable to define a DSN on it--then you must use a connection string to connect to the database.

To set up a DSN in Windows, see the following articles on the Microsoft website:

• Windows 2000 users, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 300596 at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;300596
• Windows XP users, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 305599 at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305599

Related topics

• Database Connections for ASP Developers
• Database Connections for JSP Developers