Besides the DNN database, I need to create a module that connects to a different database to pull information for display.

Can I create an additional connection string in the web.config that can be called for the module to connect?

If so, can I and how do I us the DNN infrastructure to make the call to the other database from within the module (as opposed to writing straight ADO.NET code)?

Thanks,

Hal

Yes, you can specify it in the webconfig and in the dataprovider and sqldataprovider, make sure you change it to point to the new configuration.

Below I changed the default "Data" to point to a new config called "applicationData"

SqlDataProvider File
Private Const ProviderType As String = "applicationData"

DataProvider File
' dynamically create provider
Private Shared Sub CreateProvider()
objProvider = CType(Framework.Reflection.CreateObject("applicationData", "NamespaceGoesHere", ""), DataProvider)
End Sub

WebConfig File
<sectionGroup name="dotnetnuke">
<section name="data" requirePermission="false" type="DotNetNuke.Framework.Providers.ProviderConfigurationHandler, DotNetNuke"/>
<section name="applicationData" requirePermission="false" type="DotNetNuke.Framework.Providers.ProviderConfigurationHandler, DotNetNuke"/>

...

<connectionStrings>
<add name="SiteSqlServer" connectionString="..." providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>
<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2000/2005 -->
<add name="applicationData" connectionString="New Connection String Goes Here" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>

...

<appSettings>
<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2005 Express - kept for backwards compatability - legacy modules -->
<add key="SiteSqlServer" value="..."/>
<!-- Connection String for SQL Server 2000/2005 - kept for backwards compatability - legacy modules-->
<add key="applicationData" value="New Connection String Goes Here"/>

...

<dotnetnuke>
<!--ApplicationDatabase Provider-->
<applicationData defaultProvider="SqlDataProvider">
<providers>
<clear/>
<add name="SqlDataProvider" type="DotNetNuke.Data.SqlDataProvider, DotNetNuke.SqlDataProvider" connectionStringName="applicationData" upgradeConnectionString="" providerPath="~\Providers\DataProviders\SqlDataProvider\" objectQualifier="" databaseOwner="dbo"/>
</providers>
</applicationData>

...

Is the other database you want to connect to in the same sql server instance?  If so, you can use straight sql syntax to explicitly call the desired database.

In your stored proc, just reference the other database.  This assumes the other data you need is on the same server as your dnn database, but it does not need to be the same database.  Something like this...

SELECT
    'username' = u.username,
    'firstname' = u.firstname,
    'lastname' = u.lastname,
    'hiredate' = e.hiredate,
    'department' = e.department,
    'jobcode' = j.jobcode
FROM dotnetnuke.dbo.users U
JOIN companydb.dbo.employees E ON e.employeeid = u.username
JOIN hrdb.dbo.jobcodes J ON j.employeeid = e.employeeid
WHERE u.username = @username