Before you can perform any task with an
ADO.NET data source, you need to open a connection. In ADO.NET, this
means creating and using a Connection object.
Connection objects are one of the simplest
components in ADO.NET, but they encapsulate a fair bit of lower-level
functionality, including user authentication information, a
connection pooling mechanism, and a network connection (assuming the
data source is located on a separate computer).
In this chapter, we'll examine the basics of the
ADO.NET Connection object and the connection
string settings you can configure. We'll also
consider some finer points, including connection pooling?a key
to highly scalable database applications?and connection events.
