[02/03] Storing App Location

[circuits2]

I created an mdi application that manages it's own Access database. I noticed that I couldn't use Environment.CurrentDirectory to locate the database at runtime because the use of SaveFileDialogBoxes changes the current directory. I got around this by using a ReadOnly constant in the parent form and then referenced from the child forms. Like this:

Parent

Public ReadOnly mdbLocation As String = Environment.CurrentDirectory & "\am090506.mdb;"

Child

Dim parForm As New uiMainForm
    Dim appLoc As String = parForm.mdbLocation

...Which later uses like this:

Dim bomConString As String = _
                "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data " & _
                "Source=" & appLoc & _
                "Jet OLEDB:Database Password=*****;"

The problem I immediately see from doing it this way is the memory usage because I will have two instances of the parent form open all the time (Every child form uses the database). Is there a better way of doing this?

[mpdeglau]

Application.StartupPath

Gets the path for the executable file that started the application, not including the exicutable name.