Error in MSSQL Code unable to figure out error

Question

I have a program, that updates a table, it inserts the following:
strSQL = "INSERT INTO test-vm_info(info, DateTime) VALUES ('Program Started','1/10/2015 9:29:50 PM')"
it fails with error:  Incorrect syntax near '-'.
I created the database with the - so I believe that there is no issue with the -.
Any ideas would be grateful
THanks
Update:   I just checked and I see the table was not created.    It is now allowed to have - in a table name?
Thanks
 update 2:  found some stuff that says put [] around the name,  can this always be used?
Thanks

Answer 1

Hi Joe,
without delimiters only
regular identifiers are allowed, and a minus ("-") isn't allowed. You will have to use delimiters - square brackets or double quotes for those identifiers.
Consider using always regular identifiers as it avoids such errors - here use a underscore ("_") instead. Note:
DateTime is a data type and it is better to avoid any data types names and
reserved keywords for identifiers.
Additionally: Instead of literal strings use
parameters - as otherwise the date time value depends on the users language settings, see
The ultimate guide to the datetime datatypes. A simple example using
AddWithValue:
Using connection As New SqlConnection("Data Source=(local)\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated Security=True;Initial Catalog=tempdb;")
connection.Open()
Dim command As New SqlCommand("INSERT INTO [test-vm_info](info, [DateTime]) VALUES (@info, @infodate);", connection)
command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@info", "Program started")
command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@infodate", DateTime.Now)
command.ExecuteNonQuery()
End Using
Regards, Elmar