Adding a Text Writer Trace Listener via the Application Configuration File

When using the Trace class, a mechanism for recording messages that are sent to it are necessary. This is done by the use of listeners. The purpose of a listener is to collect store, and route tracing messages.

To send output to the listeners collection :

System.Diagnostics.Trace.WriteLine("Attempting to load form.");

The following example shows how to use a listener to send an output to a file:

System.Diagnostics.Trace.Listeners.Clear();

System.Diagnostics.Trace.Listeners.Add(

new System.Diagnostics.TextWriterTraceListener(@"C:\traceOutput.txt"));

The listener can also be configured by means of an application configuration file (App.config):

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

  <configuration>

    <system.diagnostics >                

      <trace autoflush="true" >

        <listeners>

          <clear />

            <add name="textWriterListener"

                 type="System.Diagnostics.TextWriterTraceListener"      

                 initializeData="C:\traceOutput.txt">      

            </add>           

        </listeners>                                 

      </trace >        

    </system.diagnostics>

  </configuration>

Exercise

1.       Create a new C# winforms application.

2.       Write a couple of trace statements in the form constructor.

   public SampleForm() {

System.Diagnostics.Trace.Write("Initializing Components...");

InitializeComponent();

System.Diagnostics.Trace.WriteLine("Done");

   }

3.       Add an application configuration file (app.config).

4.       Under configuration, add the following lines:

    <system.diagnostics >                   

      <trace autoflush="true" >

        <listeners>

          <clear />

            <add name="textWriterListener"

                 type="System.Diagnostics.TextWriterTraceListener"      

                 initializeData="C:\traceOutput.txt">           

          </add>       

        </listeners>                                     

      </trace >        

    </system.diagnostics>

5.       Run the application. The application will generate a C:\traceOutput.txt which contains the trace statements added in the form constructor.

Using the DateTimeFormatInfo to retrieve Culture Specific Date Values

This Blog entry discusses how to use the System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture.DateTimeFormat object to access culture specific date values.

Retrieving Culture Specific Day Names

Access the DayNames property or AbbreviatedDayNames property to access a list of day names for the particular culture.

Example:

DateTimeFormatInfo d = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture.DateTimeFormat;

foreach (string abbreviatedDayName in d.AbbreviatedDayNames)

Console.WriteLine (abbreviatedDayName);

Retrieving Culture Specific Month Names

Access the MonthNames property or AbbreviatedMonthNames property to access a list of month names for the particular culture.

Example:

DateTimeFormatInfo d = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture.DateTimeFormat;

foreach (string abbreviatedMonthName in d.AbbreviatedMonthNames)

Console.WriteLine (abbreviatedDayName);

Play with it:

This tutorial allows you to retrieve culture specific date values in French:

1.       Set the CurrentCulture to French (Canada)

Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = new CultureInfo("FR-CA");

2.       Declare a DateTimeFormatInfo and set it to the CurrentThread’s DateTimeFormat property

DateTimeFormatInfo d = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture.DateTimeFormat;           

3.       Write the day names for French (Canada)

foreach (string dayName in d.DayNames)

Console.WriteLine(dayName);

4.       Write the month names for French (Canada)

foreach (string monthName in d.MonthNames )

Console.WriteLine(monthName);

Editing a Connection String through the DataLink properties screen

This Blog entry discusses how to edit a connection string using the Data Link Properties screen.

To edit a database connection string through the Data Link Properties screen, you would need the following references:

-          ADODB

-          MSDASC

Declare an object of type MSDASC.DataLinks and assign it a new instance.

Example:

MSDASC.DataLinks dataLink = new MSDASC.DataLinksClass();

Declare an ADODB Connection object.

Example:

ADODB._Connection connection;

Set  the connection object to a new ConnectionClass.

Example:

connection = new ADODB.ConnectionClass();

Set the connectionString property of the connection to the connectionString to be edited.

Example:

connection.ConnectionString = connectionString;

Call the PromptEdit method of the datalink and assign it to the ADODB connection and pass the connection as a reference parameter.

Example:

dataLink.PromptEdit(ref oConnection)

Access the connection string property of the connection object

return connection.ConnectionString.ToString();

Example Code:

MSDASC.DataLinks dataLinks = new MSDASC.DataLinksClass();

ADODB._Connection connection;

connection = new ADODB.ConnectionClass();

connection.ConnectionString = connectionString;

dataLink.PromptEdit(ref oConnection)

return connection.ConnectionString.ToString();

Obtain a Connection String through the Data Link Properties Screen

This Blog entry discusses how to obtain a connection string from users using the Data Link Properties screen.

To obtain a database connection string through the Data Link Properties screen, you would need the following references:

-          ADODB

-          MSDASC

Declare an object of type MSDASC.DataLinks and assign it a new instance.

Example:

MSDASC.DataLinks dataLink = new MSDASC.DataLinksClass();

Declare an ADODB Connection object.

Example:

ADODB._Connection connection;

Call the PromptNew method of the datalink and assign it to the ADODB connection. This will return an ADODB connection object.

Example:

connection = (ADODB._Connection)dataLinks.PromptNew();

Access the connection string property of the connection object

return connection.ConnectionString.ToString();

Example Code:

MSDASC.DataLinks dataLinks = new MSDASC.DataLinksClass();

ADODB._Connection connection;

connection = (ADODB._Connection)dataLinks.PromptNew();

return connection.ConnectionString.ToString();