The database connection panel is displayed when you select the Database option from the Data Source Type combo:
First you need to specify the database connection type from the DB Connection Type combo box. Currently supported are connections to the following database types:
- ODBC
- Ole Db
- SQL Server
- Oracle Server
Common for all types of database connections is that it is mandatory to specify a connection string and a SQL command.
The Connection String for each particular database connection is different, but the common rule is that it consists of a series of key-value pairs separated by the ";" character. Visit http://www.connectionstrings.com for a complete specification of the connection string format for each particular database connection.
The SQL Command must return a data view - typically this would be a SELECT statement for a database table or a database view. The SQL command syntax should be valid for the selected database connection type.
The UserName and Password fields are optional and must be specified when the database connection requires authentication. Internally the web part will append these to the connection string that you have already specified, with the correct formatting for the respective database connection type. Alternatively you can include the user name and password in the connection string itself.