Reasons for UDL?

ChipperT

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I am tasked right now with maintaining several VB.Net apps that use an Access backend with ADO. I don't know who wrote them and, in any event the authors are long gone. Each of the apps use UDL files to pass in the connection string. None are password-protected. I can't figure out why the UDL files are used and no one can tell me what the logic would be. My boss wants me to leave it that way but I am tending to change the connection string to the app code.

Can anyone tell me a good reason to use UDL files (other than the ability to easily switch the DB connection to point from test to prod dbs)?
 
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Good question! It would be interested to sse if it gets a response. Just because something exists there has to be a reason for using it! It might be a bit like MS bitmaps which someone thought was a good idea!

I have alway used the asa(x) or webconfig files to contain the connections and strings, sorry I could help. Bob is usually a font of knowledge and if doesn't know then I would consider giving UDL the elbow!

Simon
 
Multiple apps or object within apps may use the connection I suppose - a change would only require the UDL to change, not each app, or object.
 
We have a VB6 app that moves through different environments and so we use a UDL for this as that is the way we have to do it due to company policy. The location (mapped drive) on each server is the same so all that needs to be different is the connection string.

It isn't necessarily for everyone but it is similar to a File DSN where you can maintain a text file which is easier to change than is programming.
 

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