Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server Overview

The Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server, SQLOLEDB, allows ADO to access Microsoft SQL Server.

Important

The SQL Server Native Client (often abbreviated SNAC) has been removed from SQL Server 2022 (16.x) and SQL Server Management Studio 19 (SSMS). Both the SQL Server Native Client OLE DB provider (SQLNCLI or SQLNCLI11) and the legacy Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server (SQLOLEDB) are not recommended for new development. Switch to the new Microsoft OLE DB Driver (MSOLEDBSQL) for SQL Server going forward.

Connection String Parameters

To connect to this provider, set the Provider argument to the ConnectionString property to:

SQLOLEDB

This value can also be set or read using the Provider property.

Typical Connection String

A typical connection string for this provider is:

"Provider=SQLOLEDB;Data Source=serverName;"
Initial Catalog=databaseName;
User ID=MyUserID;Password=MyPassword;"

The string consists of these keywords:

Keyword Description
Provider Specifies the OLE DB Provider for SQL Server.
Data Source or Server Specifies the name of a server.
Initial Catalog or Database Specifies the name of a database on the server.
User ID or uid Specifies the user name (for SQL Server Authentication).
Password or pwd Specifies the user password (for SQL Server Authentication).

Note

If you are connecting to a data source provider that supports Windows authentication, you should specify Trusted_Connection=yes or Integrated Security = SSPI instead of user ID and password information in the connection string.

Provider-Specific Connection Parameters

The provider supports several provider-specific connection parameters in addition to those defined by ADO. As with the ADO connection properties, these provider-specific properties can be set via the Properties collection of a Connection or can be set as part of the ConnectionString.

Parameter Description
Trusted_Connection Indicates the user authentication mode. This can be set to Yes or No. The default value is No. If this property is set to Yes, SQLOLEDB uses Microsoft Windows NT Authentication Mode to authorize user access to the SQL Server database specified by the Location and Datasource property values. If this property is set to No, SQLOLEDB uses Mixed Mode to authorize user access to the SQL Server database. The SQL Server login and password are specified in the User Id and Password properties.
Current Language Indicates a SQL Server language name. Identifies the language used for system message selection and formatting. The language must be installed on the SQL Server, otherwise opening the connection will fail.
Network Address Indicates the network address of the SQL Server specified by the Location property.
Network Library Indicates the name of the network library (DLL) used to communicate with the SQL Server. The name should not include the path or the .dll file name extension. The default is provided by the SQL Server client configuration.
Use Procedure for Prepare Determines whether SQL Server creates temporary stored procedures when Commands are prepared (by the Prepared property).
Auto Translate Indicates whether OEM/ANSI characters are converted. This property can be set to True or False. The default value is True. If this property is set to True, SQLOLEDB performs OEM/ANSI character conversion when multi-byte character strings are retrieved from, or sent to, the SQL Server. If this property is set to False, SQLOLEDB does not perform OEM/ANSI character conversion on multi-byte character string data.
Packet Size Indicates a network packet size in bytes. The packet size property value must be between 512 and 32767. The default SQLOLEDB network packet size is 4096.
Application Name Indicates the client application name.
Workstation ID A string identifying the workstation.

Command Object Usage

SQLOLEDB accepts an amalgam of ODBC, ANSI, and SQL Server-specific Transact-SQL as valid syntax. For example, the following SQL statement uses an ODBC SQL escape sequence to specify the LCASE string function:

SELECT customerid={fn LCASE(CustomerID)} FROM Customers

LCASE returns a character string, converting all uppercase characters to their lowercase equivalents. The ANSI SQL string function LOWER performs the same operation, so the following SQL statement is an ANSI equivalent to the ODBC statement presented earlier:

SELECT customerid=LOWER(CustomerID) FROM Customers

SQLOLEDB successfully processes either form of the statement when specified as text for a command.

Stored Procedures

When executing a SQL Server stored procedure using a SQLOLEDB command, use the ODBC procedure call escape sequence in the command text. SQLOLEDB then uses the remote procedure call mechanism of SQL Server to optimize command processing. For example, the following ODBC SQL statement is the preferred command text over the Transact-SQL form:

ODBC SQL

{call SalesByCategory('Produce', '1995')}

Transact-SQL

EXECUTE SalesByCategory 'Produce', '1995'

SQL Server Features

With SQL Server, ADO can use XML for Command input and retrieve results in XML stream format instead of in Recordset objects. For more information, see Using Streams for Command Input and Retrieving Resultsets Into Streams.

Accessing sql_variant data using MDAC 2.7, MDAC 2.8, or Windows DAC 6.0

Microsoft SQL Server has a data type called sql_variant. Similar to OLE DB's DBTYPE_VARIANT, the sql_variant data type can store data of several different types. However, there are a few key differences between DBTYPE_VARIANT and sql_variant. ADO also handles data stored as a sql_variant value differently than how it handles other data types. The following list describes issues to consider when you access SQL Server data stored in columns of type sql_variant.

  • In MDAC 2.7, MDAC 2.8, and Windows Data Access Components (Windows DAC) 6.0, the OLE DB Provider for SQL Server supports the sql_variant type. The OLE DB Provider for ODBC does not.

  • The sql_variant type does not exactly match the DBTYPE_VARIANT data type. The sql_variant type supports a few new subtypes not supported by DBTYPE_VARIANT, including GUID, ANSI (non-UNICODE) strings, and BIGINT. Using subtypes other than those listed earlier will work correctly.

  • The sql_variant subtype NUMERIC does not match the DBTYPE_DECIMAL in size.

  • Multiple data type coercions will result in types that do not match. For example, coercing a sql_variant with a subtype of GUID to a DBTYPE_VARIANT will result in a subtype of safearray(bytes). Converting this type back to a sql_variant will result in a new subtype of array(bytes).

  • Recordset fields that contain sql_variant data can be remoted (marshaled) or persisted only if the sql_variant contains specific subtypes. Attempting to remote or persist data with the following unsupported subtypes will cause a run-time error (unsupported conversion) from the Microsoft Persistence Provider (MSPersist): VT_VARIANT, VT_RECORD, VT_ILLEGAL, VT_UNKNOWN, VT_BSTR, and VT_DISPATCH.

  • The OLE DB Provider for SQL Server in MDAC 2.7, MDAC 2.8, and Windows DAC 6.0 has a dynamic property called Allow Native Variants which, as the name implies, allows developers to access the sql_variant in its native form as opposed to a DBTYPE_VARIANT. If this property is set, and a Recordset is opened with the Client Cursor Engine (adUseClient), the Recordset.Open call will fail. If this property is set and a Recordset is opened with server cursors (adUseServer), the Recordset.Open call will succeed, but accessing columns of type sql_variant will produce an error.

  • In client applications that use MDAC 2.5, sql_variant data can be used with queries against Microsoft SQL Server. However, the values of the sql_variant data are treated as strings. Such client applications should be upgraded to MDAC 2.7, MDAC 2.8, or Windows DAC 6.0.

Recordset Behavior

SQLOLEDB cannot use SQL Server cursors to support the multiple-result generated by many commands. If a consumer requests a recordset requiring SQL Server cursor support, an error occurs if the command text used generates more than a single recordset as its result.

Scrollable SQLOLEDB recordsets are supported by SQL Server cursors. SQL Server imposes limitations on cursors that are sensitive to changes made by other users of the database. Specifically, the rows in some cursors cannot be ordered, and attempting to create a recordset using a command containing a SQL ORDER BY clause can fail.

Dynamic Properties

The Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server inserts several dynamic properties into the Properties collection of the unopened Connection, Recordset, and Command objects.

The following tables are a cross-index of the ADO and OLE DB names for each dynamic property. The OLE DB Programmer's Reference refers to an ADO property name by the term "Description." You can find more information about these properties in the OLE DB Programmer's Reference. Search for the OLE DB property name in the Index or see Appendix C: OLE DB Properties.

Connection Dynamic Properties

The following properties are added to the Properties collection of the Connection object.

ADO Property Name OLE DB Property Name
Active Sessions DBPROP_ACTIVESESSIONS
Asynchable Abort DBPROP_ASYNCTXNABORT
Asynchable Commit DBPROP_ASYNCTNXCOMMIT
Autocommit Isolation Levels DBPROP_SESS_AUTOCOMMITISOLEVELS
Catalog Location DBPROP_CATALOGLOCATION
Catalog Term DBPROP_CATALOGTERM
Column Definition DBPROP_COLUMNDEFINITION
Connect Timeout DBPROP_INIT_TIMEOUT
Current Catalog DBPROP_CURRENTCATALOG
Data Source DBPROP_INIT_DATASOURCE
Data Source Name DBPROP_DATASOURCENAME
Data Source Object Threading Model DBPROP_DSOTHREADMODEL
DBMS Name DBPROP_DBMSNAME
DBMS Version DBPROP_DBMSVER
Extended Properties DBPROP_INIT_PROVIDERSTRING
GROUP BY Support DBPROP_GROUPBY
Heterogeneous Table Support DBPROP_HETEROGENEOUSTABLES
Identifier Case Sensitivity DBPROP_IDENTIFIERCASE
Initial Catalog DBPROP_INIT_CATALOG
Isolation Levels DBPROP_SUPPORTEDTXNISOLEVELS
Isolation Retention DBPROP_SUPPORTEDTXNISORETAIN
Locale Identifier DBPROP_INIT_LCID
Maximum Index Size DBPROP_MAXINDEXSIZE
Maximum Row Size DBPROP_MAXROWSIZE
Maximum Row Size Includes BLOB DBPROP_MAXROWSIZEINCLUDESBLOB
Maximum Tables in SELECT DBPROP_MAXTABLESINSELECT
Multiple Parameter Sets DBPROP_MULTIPLEPARAMSETS
Multiple Results DBPROP_MULTIPLERESULTS
Multiple Storage Objects DBPROP_MULTIPLESTORAGEOBJECTS
Multi-Table Update DBPROP_MULTITABLEUPDATE
NULL Collation Order DBPROP_NULLCOLLATION
NULL Concatenation Behavior DBPROP_CONCATNULLBEHAVIOR
OLE DB Version DBPROP_PROVIDEROLEDBVER
OLE Object Support DBPROP_OLEOBJECTS
Open Rowset Support DBPROP_OPENROWSETSUPPORT
ORDER BY Columns in Select List DBPROP_ORDERBYCOLUMNSINSELECT
Output Parameter Availability DBPROP_OUTPUTPARAMETERAVAILABILITY
Pass By Ref Accessors DBPROP_BYREFACCESSORS
Password DBPROP_AUTH_PASSWORD
Persist Security Info DBPROP_AUTH_PERSIST_SENSITIVE_AUTHINFO
Persistent ID Type DBPROP_PERSISTENTIDTYPE
Prepare Abort Behavior DBPROP_PREPAREABORTBEHAVIOR
Prepare Commit Behavior DBPROP_PREPARECOMMITBEHAVIOR
Procedure Term DBPROP_PROCEDURETERM
Prompt DBPROP_INIT_PROMPT
Provider Friendly Name DBPROP_PROVIDERFRIENDLYNAME
Provider Name DBPROP_PROVIDERFILENAME
Provider Version DBPROP_PROVIDERVER
Read-Only Data Source DBPROP_DATASOURCEREADONLY
Rowset Conversions on Command DBPROP_ROWSETCONVERSIONSONCOMMAND
Schema Term DBPROP_SCHEMATERM
Schema Usage DBPROP_SCHEMAUSAGE
SQL Support DBPROP_SQLSUPPORT
Structured Storage DBPROP_STRUCTUREDSTORAGE
Subquery Support DBPROP_SUBQUERIES
Table Term DBPROP_TABLETERM
Transaction DDL DBPROP_SUPPORTEDTXNDDL
User ID DBPROP_AUTH_USERID
User Name DBPROP_USERNAME
Window Handle DBPROP_INIT_HWND

Recordset Dynamic Properties

The following properties are added to the Properties collection of the Recordset object.

ADO Property Name OLE DB Property Name
Access Order DBPROP_ACCESSORDER
Blocking Storage Objects DBPROP_BLOCKINGSTORAGEOBJECTS
Bookmark Type DBPROP_BOOKMARKTYPE
Bookmarkable DBPROP_IROWSETLOCATE
Change Inserted Rows DBPROP_CHANGEINSERTEDROWS
Column Privileges DBPROP_COLUMNRESTRICT
Column Set Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYCOLUMNSET
Command Time Out DBPROP_COMMANDTIMEOUT
Defer Column DBPROP_DEFERRED
Delay Storage Object Updates DBPROP_DELAYSTORAGEOBJECTS
Fetch Backwards DBPROP_CANFETCHBACKWARDS
Hold Rows DBPROP_CANHOLDROWS
IAccessor DBPROP_IAccessor
IColumnsInfo DBPROP_IColumnsInfo
IColumnsRowset DBPROP_IColumnsRowset
IConnectionPointContainer DBPROP_IConnectionPointContainer
IConvertType DBPROP_IConvertType
Immobile Rows DBPROP_IMMOBILEROWS
IRowset DBPROP_IRowset
IRowsetChange DBPROP_IRowsetChange
IRowsetIdentity DBPROP_IRowsetIdentity
IRowsetInfo DBPROP_IRowsetInfo
IRowsetLocate DBPROP_IRowsestLocate
IRowsetResynch
IRowsetScroll DBPROP_IRowsetScroll
IRowsetUpdate DBPROP_IRowsetUpdate
ISequentialStream DBPROP_ISequentialStream
ISupportErrorInfo DBPROP_ISupportErrorInfo
Literal Bookmarks DBPROP_LITERALBOOKMARKS
Literal Row Identity DBPROP_LITERALIDENTITY
Maximum Open Rows DBPROP_MAXOPENROWS
Maximum Pending Rows DBPROP_MAXPENDINGROWS
Maximum Rows DBPROP_MAXROWS
Notification Granularity DBPROP_NOTIFICATIONGRANULARITY
Notification Phases DBPROP_NOTIFICATIONPHASES
Objects Transacted DBPROP_TRANSACTEDOBJECT
Others' Changes Visible DBPROP_OTHERUPDATEDELETE
Others' Inserts Visible DBPROP_OTHERINSERT
Own Changes Visible DBPROP_OWNUPDATEDELETE
Own Inserts Visible DBPROP_OWNINSERT
Preserve on Abort DBPROP_ABORTPRESERVE
Preserve on Commit DBPROP_COMMITPRESERVE
Quick Restart DBPROP_QUICKRESTART
Reentrant Events DBPROP_REENTRANTEVENTS
Remove Deleted Rows DBPROP_REMOVEDELETED
Report Multiple Changes DBPROP_REPORTMULTIPLECHANGES
Return Pending Inserts DBPROP_RETURNPENDINGINSERTS
Row Delete Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWDELETE
Row First Change Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWFIRSTCHANGE
Row Insert Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWINSERT
Row Privileges DBPROP_ROWRESTRICT
Row Resynchronization Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWRESYNCH
Row Threading Model DBPROP_ROWTHREADMODEL
Row Undo Change Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWUNDOCHANGE
Row Undo Delete Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWUNDODELETE
Row Undo Insert Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWUNDOINSERT
Row Update Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWUPDATE
Rowset Fetch Position Change Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWSETFETCHPOSISIONCHANGE
Rowset Release Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWSETRELEASE
Scroll Backwards DBPROP_CANSCROLLBACKWARDS
Server Cursor DBPROP_SERVERCURSOR
Skip Deleted Bookmarks DBPROP_BOOKMARKSKIPPED
Strong Row Identity DBPROP_STRONGITDENTITY
Unique Rows DBPROP_UNIQUEROWS
Updatability DBPROP_UPDATABILITY
Use Bookmarks DBPROP_BOOKMARKS

Command Dynamic Properties

The following properties are added to the Properties collection of the Command object.

ADO Property Name OLE DB Property Name
Access Order DBPROP_ACCESSORDER
Base Path SSPROP_STREAM_BASEPATH
Blocking Storage Objects DBPROP_BLOCKINGSTORAGEOBJECTS
Bookmark Type DBPROP_BOOKMARKTYPE
Bookmarkable DBPROP_IROWSETLOCATE
Change Inserted Rows DBPROP_CHANGEINSERTEDROWS
Column Privileges DBPROP_COLUMNRESTRICT
Column Set Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYCOLUMNSET
Content Type SSPROP_STREAM_CONTENTTYPE
Cursor Auto Fetch SSPROP_CURSORAUTOFETCH
Defer Column DBPROP_DEFERRED
Defer Prepare SSPROP_DEFERPREPARE
Delay Storage Object Updates DBPROP_DELAYSTORAGEOBJECTS
Fetch Backwards DBPROP_CANFETCHBACKWARDS
Hold Rows DBPROP_CANHOLDROWS
IAccessor DBPROP_IAccessor
IColumnsInfo DBPROP_IColumnsInfo
IColumnsRowset DBPROP_IColumnsRowset
IConnectionPointContainer DBPROP_IConnectionPointContainer
IConvertType DBPROP_IConvertType
Immobile Rows DBPROP_IMMOBILEROWS
IRowset DBPROP_IRowset
IRowsetChange DBPROP_IRowsetChange
IRowsetIdentity DBPROP_IRowsetIdentity
IRowsetInfo DBPROP_IRowsetInfo
IRowsetLocate DBPROP_IRowsetLocate
IRowsetResynch DBPROP_IRowsetResynch
IRowsetScroll DBPROP_IRowsetScroll
IRowsetUpdate DBPROP_IRowsetUpdate
ISequentialStream DBPROP_ISequentialStream
ISupportErrorInfo DBPROP_ISupportErrorInfo
Literal Bookmarks DBPROP_LITERALBOOKMARKS
Literal Row Identity DBPROP_LITERALIDENTITY
Lock Mode DBPROP_LOCKMODE
Maximum Open Rows DBPROP_MAXOPENROWS
Maximum Pending Rows DBPROP_MAXPENDINGROWS
Maximum Rows DBPROP_MAXROWS
Notification Granularity DBPROP_NOTIFICATIONGRANULARITY
Notification Phases DBPROP_NOTIFICATIONPHASES
Objects Transacted DBPROP_TRANSACTEDOBJECT
Others' Changes Visible DBPROP_OTHERUPDATEDELETE
Others' Inserts Visible DBPROP_OTHERINSERT
Output Encoding Property DBPROP_OUTPUTENCODING
Output Stream Property DBPROP_OUTPUTSTREAM
Own Changes Visible DBPROP_OWNUPDATEDELETE
Own Inserts Visible DBPROP_OWNINSERT
Preserve on Abort DBPROP_ABORTPRESERVE
Preserve on Commit DBPROP_COMMITPRESERVE
Quick Restart DBPROP_QUICKRESTART
Reentrant Events DBPROP_REENTRANTEVENTS
Remove Deleted Rows DBPROP_REMOVEDELETED
Report Multiple Changes DBPROP_REPORTMULTIPLECHANGES
Return Pending Inserts DBPROP_RETURNPENDINGINSERTS
Row Delete Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWDELETE
Row First Change Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWFIRSTCHANGE
Row Insert Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWINSERT
Row Privileges DBPROP_ROWRESTRICT
Row Resynchronization Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWRESYNCH
Row Threading Model DBPROP_ROWTHREADMODEL
Row Undo Change Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWUNDOCHANGE
Row Undo Delete Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWUNDODELETE
Row Undo Insert Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWUNDOINSERT
Row Update Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWUPDATE
Rowset Fetch Position Change Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWSETFETCHPOSITIONCHANGE
Rowset Release Notification DBPROP_NOTIFYROWSETRELEASE
Scroll Backwards DBPROP_CANSCROLLBACKWARDS
Server Cursor DBPROP_SERVERCURSOR
Server Data on Insert DBPROP_SERVERDATAONINSERT
Skip Deleted Bookmarks DBPROP_BOOKMARKSKIP
Strong Row Identity DBPROP_STRONGIDENTITY
Updatability DBPROP_UPDATABILITY
Use Bookmarks DBPROP_BOOKMARKS
XML Root SSPROP_STREAM_XMLROOT
XSL SSPROP_STREAM_XSL

For specific implementation details and functional information about the Microsoft SQL Server OLE DB Provider, see the SQL Server Provider.

See Also

ConnectionString Property (ADO) Provider Property (ADO) Recordset Object (ADO)