Connection string available thru class for multiple user controls

I'm having a problem with my connection string remaining open on the load of a main form that contains user controls. I can test through and see that my connection string is correct & opened from my main module but when the user control hits InitializeComponent my connection string closes. I was told that I should create a class that contains a shared property that holds the connection string:

Public Class CApplication

Private Shared m_sConnectString As String

Public Shared Property Connectstring() As String
Get
Return m_sConnectString
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As String)
m_sConnectString = Value
End Set
End Property

End Class

and then access the property directly in the class:

Dim cnnConnect as SqlConnection
cnnConnect.ConnectionString = CApplication.ConnectString
cnnConnect.Open

I'm totally confused with what I'm doing. Where do I access the property directly in the class? Does this go in the form load of the user control? How does this work since the connection was originally made in a config file?

Ah yes, I had the same problem initially. I created a class called DbConn and added it to my project.

In DbConn, I have declared

Public Shared MyConn as string = "MyConnection String"

and a function called:

Public Shared Function CurrCon()
Return MyConn
End Function

In this way, in my main code I can create a new connection and use the string returned from the DbConn.CurrCon, to supply the connection information

as in dim cn1 as new sqlconnection(DbConn.CurrCon)

Hope that helps

I'm sorry but it's still not sinking in.

When I try to reference the class name it says that "Name CApplication is not declared.

You posted "Ah yes, I had the same problem initially. I created a class called DbConn and added it to my project" I created a class in my prohect. Do I have to add it also?............ I'm way too confused on this one.