using IDataReader to call store procedure with parameters

Question

I use IDataReader to call stored procedures without parameters. I am not finding examples of how to do this when parameters are present. Does IDataReader handle parameters of stored procedure?

Please provide an example.

Answer 1

If you're using the Enterprise Library, this style will work well for you:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.Common;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Data.Sql;

// ...

SqlDatabase db = new SqlDatabase("YourConnectionString");
DbCommand cmd = db.GetStoredProcCommand("YourProcName");
cmd.Parameters.Add(new SqlParameter("YourParamName", "param value"));

using (IDataReader dr = db.ExecuteReader(cmd))
{
    while (dr.Read())
    {
        // do something with the data
    }
}

Answer 2

It's not the IDataReader that deals with parameters, that would be the IDbCommand (using the CreateParameter method). Then you can get hold of a reader for the command using the ExecuteReader method.

I put together a simple example:

private static void ExecuteCommand(IDbConnection conn)
{
    using (IDbCommand cmd = conn.CreateCommand())
    {
        cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;
        cmd.CommandText = "ProcedureName";
        IDataParameter param = cmd.CreateParameter();
        param.ParameterName = "@parameterName";
        param.Value = "parameter value";
        cmd.Parameters.Add(param);
        using (IDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader())
        {
            while (reader.Read())
            {
                // get data from the reader
            }
        }
    }
}

Answer 3

Some .NET providers have a static DeriveParameters() method in the command builder implementation. If so, you can use that to retrieve the list of parameters and then fill in the values. It provides a nice way of "discovering" the information:

IDbCommand cmd = conn.CreateCommand();

cmd.CommandText = "SomeProcedure";
cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;

// to avoid hard coded reference to a specific provider type, get a
// command builder object and use reflection to invoke the derive method
DbCommandBuilder cb = dbfact.CreateCommandBuilder();
MethodInfo mi = cb.GetType().GetMethod( "DeriveParameters", 
                                 BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static );
mi.Invoke( null, new object[] { cmd } );
// show information about each parameter
foreach ( IDataParameter p in cmd.Parameters )
    Console.WriteLine( "{0}, {1}, {2}", p.ParameterName, 
                       p.DbType.ToString(), p.Direction.ToString() );
IDataParameter prm = (IDataParameter)cmd.Parameters["SomeParam"];
prm.Value = "xyz";
IDataReader rdr = cmd.ExecuteReader();

Answer 4

Below sample has worked for me (passing the parameter name only. I have only tried this for string parameters)

Using drDataReader As IDataReader = _db.ExecuteReader("usp_get_systemsetting", "ORSIniPath")
  Dim iIndex As Int32
  While (drDataReader.Read())
      iIndex = drDataReader.GetOrdinal("SETTING_CHAR")
      If drDataReader.IsDBNull(iIndex) Then
          g_sORSIniPath = ""
      Else
          g_sORSIniPath = drDataReader.GetString(i)
      End If
  End While
End Using