Connecting your DotNetNuke® Module to another database

using DotNetNuke;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using System;
using System.Text;
using System.Web;
using Microsoft.VisualBasic;
using System.Data;
using Microsoft.ApplicationBlocks.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
namespace ADefWebsrver.Modules.AlternateDAL
{
    public partial class AlternateDAL : DotNetNuke.Entities.Modules.PortalModuleBase
    {

        string ConnectionString = "Server=(local);Database=Northwind;uid=MyUserName;pwd=MyPassword;";
        StringBuilder mySqlString = new StringBuilder();

        private void ShowData(IDataReader MyIDataReader)
        {
            GridView1.DataSource = MyIDataReader;
            GridView1.DataBind();
        }

        protected void btnExecuteSQL_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            mySqlString.Append("SELECT * ");
            mySqlString.Append("FROM Customers ");
            ShowData(SqlHelper.ExecuteReader(ConnectionString, CommandType.Text, 
		mySqlString.ToString()));
        }
        protected void btnExecuteReader_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            SqlParameter myParam = new SqlParameter("@CustomerID", SqlDbType.NChar, 5);
            myParam.Value = "ALFKI";
            ShowData(SqlHelper.ExecuteReader(ConnectionString, 
		CommandType.StoredProcedure, "CustOrderHist", myParam));
        }
    }
}

VB

Imports DotNetNuke
Imports System.Web.UI.WebControls
Imports System
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Web
Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports System.Data
Imports Microsoft.ApplicationBlocks.Data

Namespace ADefWebsrver.Modules.AlternateDAL
    Public Class AlternateDAL_VB
        Inherits DotNetNuke.Entities.Modules.PortalModuleBase

        Dim ConnectionString As String = _
        "Server=(local);Database=Northwind;uid=MyUserName;pwd=MyPassword;"
        Dim mySqlString As StringBuilder = New StringBuilder

        Private Sub ShowData(ByVal MyIDataReader As IDataReader)
            GridView1.DataSource = MyIDataReader
            GridView1.DataBind()
        End Sub

        Protected Sub DynamicSQL(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) _
        Handles btnExecuteSQL.Click
            mySqlString.Append("SELECT * ")
            mySqlString.Append("FROM Customers ")
            ShowData(SqlHelper.ExecuteReader(ConnectionString, CommandType.Text, _
            mySqlString.ToString))
        End Sub

        Protected Sub StoredProcedure(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
        Handles btnExecuteReader.Click
            Dim myParam As SqlParameter = New SqlParameter("@CustomerID", SqlDbType.NChar, 5)
            myParam.Value = "ALFKI"
            ShowData(SqlHelper.ExecuteReader(ConnectionString, CommandType.StoredProcedure, _
            "CustOrderHist", myParam))
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace
 

[Download the source code for this article]

(You will have to open up the code and insert your username and password 
to connect to your copy of the Northwind database)