You can use SSL See Encrypting Connections to SQL Server[^] Btw, it's impossible to hide the connection string from the user running the program.

PIEBALDconsult wrote: That sort of thing isn't worth worrying about Not if you have intellectual property that you do not want the competition to find, or a client to have some one dig around in your work and sell it to someone else. "The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon "Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham

I don't see why this should not work. What you mean by not work? Gives you an error, does nothing or what?

Thank you will try J4amieC wrote: Im guessing your field "Location_ID" is an int rather than an int?, in which case the default is 0 which can be assigned to the int? you could try this: int temp = (from s in sdc.Locationswhere s.Name == listViewEx4.Items[i].SubItems[7].Textselect s.Location_ID).SingleOrDefault();int? loct = (temp == 0) ? null : temp;