Overview

If you have any BarTender documents that share the same databases, and if those databases will be configured in the same way, you should create a Named Database Connection.

Applicable to 

BarTender 2016 and above

Information

Named database connections save your connection properties and parameters so that you don't have to re-enter them every time you use them in a BarTender document. If the connection parameters change, you can edit them in one place rather than in each document that uses the connection.

In some cases, you may want to stop using a named database connection with a particular document and create a separate copy of the connection settings that will be used only within that document. To do this, on the Connection Properties page of the Database Setup dialog, click Stop using named database connection. Any changes that you make to the unnamed database connection will apply only to the current document. The named database connection will still be available to other documents.

Creating a Named Database Connection

First, configure a database connection in the Database Setup dialog. Then, you can choose to save it as a named database connection.

1. From the File menu, select Database Setup. Alternatively, click the  icon on the main toolbar. One of the following will occur:

   • If you are currently connected to a database, this operation opens the Database Setup dialog.

   • If you have not previously connected to a database, this operation launches the Database Setup Wizard. Follow the steps in the wizard to complete the connection setup for the selected file type. At the end of the wizard, click Finish to open the Database Setup dialog.

2. On the Connection Properties screen, click Create named database connection to open the corresponding dialog.

3. In the Name field, enter a name for the configured database connection.

4. Click OK.

Modifying a Named Database Connection

To configure an existing named database connection, on the Connection Properties page of the Database Setup dialog, click Configure named database connection to open the Database Setup Wizard. From here, you can change or configure the named database connection.

Connecting to a Named Database Connection

1. From the File menu, select Database Setup. Alternatively, click the  icon on the main toolbar. One of the following will occur:

   • If you have not previously connected to a database, this operation launches the Database Setup Wizard.

   • If you are currently connected to a database, this operation opens the Database Setup dialog. Click the  icon to launch the Database Setup Wizard.

2. On the initial page of the wizard, select Use an existing named database connection.

3. Select the named database connection that you want to use.

4. Click Finish.

Copying/Removing a Named Database Connection

Currently there is no way to remove the named database connection from within BarTender and you will have to remove the connections manually following these steps

1. Using the File Explorer in Windows, navigate to the folder “C:\ProgramData\Seagull\Database Connections”
2. Look for the desired Named Database Connection XML file.
3. Copy the file or delete as desired.
4. Restart BarTender once you have made changes to this folder.