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Creating SqlParameters Best Practices

*NEW* See the updated post at Sharp Developer: Sql Parameters Best Practices 

This article summarizes some nice ways to create SqlParameter arrays.  When we use SqlHelper, or even without SqlHelper when we use SqlCommands directly, and we want to pass an array of SqlParameters to the function.  The method I will discuss does not require you to hard-code the number of elements, nor does it require you to create a temporary list of some sort, but it requires you to have all the values up front that you want to insert into the list.

Using ?? and casting To Set Default Values

Often we have some value that may or may not be null, and we want to give it a default value if its null.

An awesome way to do this is to use ?? (only works in C#) and add your default value, and cast the entire thing, for example as follows:

string strCustomerName = (string)(SqlHelper.ExecuteScalar(m_ConnectionString, CommandType.Text, strQuery, sqlParams) ?? string.Empty);

Read more about nullables and the ?? operator

•  http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/2cf62fcy(VS.80).aspx

Don't eat exceptions

This is very bad!

try

{

    //do something that will throw an exception, like try to commit data to a database with malformed sql

}

 catch

{

    //sweep the dirt under the rug ;)

}

Consequences/Results - Your boss will not see any exceptions or code crashes, but it might come back to bite you in the butt when the code doesn't do what it was supposed to!

Additional Sources

• Here's an article by Steven Swafford discussing eating exceptions (among other things)
  http://aspadvice.com/blogs/sswafford/archive/2007/05/10/Skills-versus-Passion_2C00_-are-they-the-same_3F00_.aspx

Use .TryParse instead of Try {} Catch {}

Use String.Format instead of Chopping Strings

Here is a quick example of why string.Format is just so cool

Here is a quick example of why string.Format is just so cool

For example: 

• text1.Text = string.Format("<a href=\"Mylink.aspx?abc=0&Color={0}\">my Link text</a>", myColor);

Isn't that much nicer than

3 Benefits of Using ConnectionStrings Instead of AppSettings

With .NET 1.0, we are using .AppSettings In .NET 1.0 we used ConfigurationSettings instead of ConfigurationManager