Unable to connect to LocalDB with HeidiSQL

Question

I have been trying to connect to a localdb instance with the latest version (at this time) of heidisql to no avail.

I have followed the instructions from this answer here but it doesn't seem to work (anymore):

HeidiSql connection to MS SQL Server LocalDB

I tried the following:

1) heidisql -d=LocalDB -h=%pipename% -n=3 -d=LocalDB

2) heidisql -d=LocalDB -h= np:\.\pipe\LOCALDB#41CF9FCB\tsql\query -n=3 -d=LocalDB (i realize that the number changes every time your start a new localdb instance)

3) heidisql -d=LocalDB -h=41CF9FCB -n=3 -d=LocalDB

Any ideas?

EDIT

Error message

Answer 1

For the following connection string in my Web.config;

<add name="WEDOBADGEDatabase" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDb)\development;Initial Catalog=WEDOBADGE;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|\DevelopmentDatabase.mdf;Integrated Security=SSPI;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

Where the most important piece of information is Data Source=(LocalDb)\development, [replacing (of course) C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\120\ with the correct path & use the correct name chosen in your connection string after Data Source=(LocalDb)\ (noncase-sensitive, development in my case)] try:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\120\Tools\Binn\SqlLocalDB.exe" info Development

This should output something similar to:

Name:               Development
Version:            12.0.2000.8
Shared name:
Owner:              hostname\username
Auto-create:        No
State:              Running
Last start time:    8/2/2016 3:20:57 PM
Instance pipe name: np:\\.\pipe\LOCALDB#CDE5547F\tsql\query

Copy \\.\pipe\LOCALDB#CDE5547F\tsql\query from the "Instance pipe name", WITHOUT the initial np:. Also, your pipe name is likely to be different than mine.

Then you can create a new session in HeidiSQL like this:

N.B.: "Network type", "Hostname / IP", and "Use Windows authentication" are important; whilst other settings (such as "Databases") is up to you, so you could leave them empty / skip, etc.

Credits go to https://stackoverflow.com/a/33748584/11895 for the pipe name suggestion.