This presented the problem of figuring out how to do all this in C#, and after a good bit of googling i hacked together a class that retrieved the contacts list from the .mdb file as a DataTable, that i could show in my DataGridView by setting it as the DataSource:
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) { // Populate the dataGridView with the database content dataGridView1.DataSource = mdb_reader_class.readContactsTable(); // Set proper column sizes dataGridView1.Columns[0].Width = 30; dataGridView1.Columns[1].Width = 200; dataGridView1.Columns[2].Width = 230; // Dont allow the user to resize the form (it's perfect as is) this.FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.FixedSingle; // This goes for maximize button as well this.MaximizeBox = false; }The mdb_reader_class.readContactsTable method:
public static DataTable readContactsTable() { try { // Variables that will be used string AccessDB = "folder-path\\Contacts.mdb"; DataTable MyDataTable = new DataTable(); // using an ridiculously long connection string, // only reluctant to change it since it works OleDbConnection lConn; lConn = new OleDbConnection( "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;User ID=Admin;Data Source=" + AccessDB + ";Mode=Share Deny None;Extended Properties=''; Jet OLEDB:System database=''; Jet OLEDB:Registry Path='';Jet OLEDB:Engine Type=4; Jet OLEDB:Database Locking Mode=0; Jet OLEDB:Global Partial Bulk Ops=2; Jet OLEDB:Global Bulk Transactions=1; Jet OLEDB:Create System Database=False; Jet OLEDB:Encrypt Database=False; Jet OLEDB:Don't Copy Locale on Compact=False; Jet OLEDB:Compact Without Replica Repair=False; Jet OLEDB:SFP=False" ); // connect to database lConn.Open(); // using SQL // Where 'Contacts' is the name of the table in the MDB file string lSQL = "Select ID, Name, Email from Contacts"; //This assigns the Select statement and connection of the data adapter OleDbDataAdapter dadapt = new OleDbDataAdapter(lSQL, lConn); //This builds the update and Delete- //queries for the table in the above SQL. //this only works if the select is a single table. OleDbCommandBuilder cb = new OleDbCommandBuilder(dadapt); // populate the dataTable dadapt.Fill(MyDataTable); //Then save to the MDB file dadapt.Update(MyDataTable); lConn.Close(); // then return the datatable //dataGridView1.DataSource = MyDataTable; return MyDataTable; } catch (Exception) { // if an exception is thrown, a empty table is returned, // with one column named "Error" DataTable errorTable = new DataTable(); errorTable.Columns.Add("Error!", typeof(string)); return errorTable; } }