Data retrieval from Access file into DataTable not working - vb.net

Question

I have some code to connect a database with the program, but for some reason at run time it does not show the data from the DB.
Public Class Form2
Dim con As New OleDbConnection("Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:\employee\employee.accdb")
Dim cmd As New OleDbCommand("", con)
Dim empDA As New OleDbDataAdapter
Dim empTable As New DataTable
Dim dr As OleDbDataReader
Private Sub Form2_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Me.EmpTableAdapter.Fill(Me.EmpDataSet.emp)
Dim cmd As New OleDbCommand("select * from emp", con)
empDA = New OleDbDataAdapter("select * from emp", con)
empDA.Fill(empTable)
DataGridView1.DataSource = empDA
End Sub

Answer 1

The code in the question looks to be a bit muddled as to what needs to be done.
Variables should be limited to the minimum scope that they are needed in, and some things need to be disposed of after use (to avoid memory leaks, files remaining locked, and other problems with computer resources).
For the disposal, the Using statement is useful as it makes sure that that is done automatically.
You should try to put each logical piece of code in a suitably small method so that it is easier to work with. Perhaps something like this:
Imports System.Data.OleDb
Public Class Form2
Dim connStr As String = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:\temp\employee.accdb"
Sub ShowEmployeeData()
Dim sql = "SELECT [Id], [FirstName] FROM [Employees] ORDER BY [Id]"
Using conn As New OleDbConnection(connStr)
Using cmd As New OleDbCommand(sql, conn)
Dim employees As New DataTable()
Dim da As New OleDbDataAdapter(cmd)
da.Fill(employees)
DataGridView1.DataSource = employees
End Using
End Using
End Sub
Private Sub Form2_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
ShowEmployeeData()
End Sub
End Class
So the connStr variable is available everywhere in the class Form2, and the code that shows the employee data is in its own Sub.
When querying a database, you should specify the actual columns that you need, so that the columns are returned in the order you want, and order by one of the columns so that the data is returned in a predicatable order - databases are free to give you any order for anything if you don't tell them otherwise.

Answer 2

Ok, while you have some tips and suggestions, I'll give a few more.
First, try using the project setting to create the connection. The reason for this is not only can you create + test + make a connection, you can do this without code.
so, try this to build + create the connection:
so now click on the [...] and it will launch the connection builder for you!
So you now get this:
(use the change button if it defaulted to sql server).
So, using the above allows you to build ONE connection - one that you can use for the WHOLE application.
And there is the handy test connection button!!
So, in above we called the connection "MyDB".
That way we don't have messy connection strings in code, and we have ONE place to change/set the connection.
Now, in code?
Well, as a really nice tip?
You often need a connection
You often need a data reader.
and you need some sql (command text).
So, in place of declaring that reader, declaring the conneciton, and all that jazz?
use a command object!
Why?
because the command object has ALL of the above 3 objects in one nice simple ONE object.
As a result, you don't have to declare the 3 separate objects.
Just use and adopt a command object in MOST cases.
So, now our code has this:
Imports System.Data.OleDb
Public Class DataGridTest1
Private Sub DataGridTest1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
Using cmdSQL As New OleDbCommand("SELECT ID, FirstName, LastName, HotelName from tblHotels",
New OleDbConnection(My.Settings.MyDB))
cmdSQL.Connection.Open()
Dim rstData As New DataTable
rstData.Load(cmdSQL.ExecuteReader)
DataGridView1.DataSource = rstData
End Using
End Sub
End Class
Note how simple - and how few variables we have to setup and declare.
So, I find this becomes quite much as easy as using Access or even writing older VB6 code.
So, try the above - its very little code, and use the connection builder in the "settings" for the application - thus removing the need to introduce connection strings all over the place in code.