How to replace a dates on a SQL query on Visual Studio (and get the query to work in there in the first place)?

Question

Morning all,
I've just been assigned a report-related project but I have not created much of anything in C# or .Net before!
I was wondering if someone could help me get started. Here are the specifications:
Basically, I am to create an automated report application. I have the query and I will include it further down
in this post. The page is to have a couple blanks to specify the Start Date and End Date and replace those dates in the query, and generate the report. What I need some help on is how to make the SQL query work in the application which I will connect to the
intended database to generate the report (basic I know, but I'm new at this) on Visual Studio 2010. I also need some help on programming the Start Date blank and End Date blank so that what the user types in for those blanks will replace the date fields in
the SQL query, then generate the report with the new dates. 
I appreciate the help!
The SQL query and what the dates are replacing:
select 
PTH.INST_ID ,
PTH.EMPLOYEE_ID,
DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_CODE,
replace(DB.DESCRIPTION,',',''),
DB.WITHHOLDING_LIABILITY_ACCOUNT_MASK,
DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_ID,
DBH.CHECK_DATE,
DBH.CHECK_NO,
DBH.FIN_INST_ACCT_ID,
replace(replace (DBH.COMMENT,CHAR(10),' '),CHAR(13),' '),
DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFIT_CYCLE_CODE,
DBH.LENGTH,
DBH.EMPLOYEE_COMPUTED_AMOUNT,
DBH.EMPLOYEE_BANK_ROUTING_NUMBER,
DBH.EMPLOYEE_ACCOUNT_TYPE,
DBH.EMPLOYEE_ACCOUNT_NUMBER,
DBH.EMPLOYER_COMPUTED_AMOUNT,
DBH.EMPLOYEE_GROSS_AMOUNT,
DBH.EMPLOYER_GROSS_AMOUNT,
DBH.PAYROLL_EXCLUDE,
PTH.VOID_DATE,
PTH.BATCH_QUEUE_ID,
B.BATCH_CODE,
BQ.FY,
BQ.END_DATE,
BQ.COMMENTS,
BQ.BATCH_CRITERIA_USED,
BP.COLUMN_VALUE,
PTH.REPLACEMENT,
P.LAST_NAME,
P.FIRST_NAME,
P.MIDDLE_NAME
from PY_EMPLOYEE_TAX_HISTORY PTH
INNER JOIN PERSON_EMPLOYEE PE ON
PE.INST_ID=PTH.INST_ID AND
PE.EMPLOYEE_ID=PTH.EMPLOYEE_ID
INNER JOIN PERSON P ON
PE.INST_ID=P.INST_ID AND
PE.PERSON_ID=P.PERSON_ID
LEFT JOIN HR_EMPLOYEE_DEDUCTIONS_AND_BENEFITS_HISTORY DBH ON
PTH.INST_ID=DBH.INST_ID AND
PTH.CHECK_DATE=DBH.CHECK_DATE AND
PTH.CHECK_NO=DBH.CHECK_NO AND
PTH.EMPLOYEE_ID=DBH.EMPLOYEE_ID
LEFT JOIN HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS DB ON
DB.INST_ID=DBH.INST_ID AND
DB.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_CODE=DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_CODE
LEFT JOIN BATCH_QUEUE BQ ON
PTH.BATCH_QUEUE_ID=BQ.BATCH_QUEUE_ID
LEFT JOIN BATCH B ON
B.BATCH_CODE=BQ.BATCH_CODE 
LEFT JOIN BATCH_PARAMETER BP ON
BQ.BATCH_QUEUE_ID=BP.BATCH_QUEUE_ID
AND BP.COLUMN_NAME = 'SUPPRESS_DIRECT_DEPOSIT'
------Please change the WHERE condition for date range of the month you need to run this for.
WHERE PTH.CHECK_DATE >='07/01/2013'
AND PTH.CHECK_DATE <='07/31/2013'
and BQ.BATCH_CODE='BAT_PY_PAYCALC'
and bq.fy=2014
ORDER BY PTH.INST_ID ,
PTH.EMPLOYEE_ID,
DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_CODE,
DBH.CHECK_DATE

Answer 1

Try this code.  The Server name will be the same name when you use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).  It is in the login window for SSMS.  I assume you are using SQLSTANDARD (not SQLEXPRESS) which is in the connection string in the code
below. I also assume you have remote connection allowed in the database.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
namespace ConsoleApplication1
class Program
const string DATABASE = "Enter Database Name Here";
const string SERVER = "Enter Server Name Here";
static void Main(string[] args)
DateTime startDate = DateTime.Parse("07/01/2013");
string startDateStr = startDate.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy");
DateTime endDate = new DateTime(startDate.Year, startDate.Month + 1, 1).AddDays(-1);
string endDateStr = endDate.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy");
string connStr = string.Format("Server={0}\\SQLSTANDARD;Database={1};Trusted_Connection= True;", SERVER,DATABASE);
string SQL = string.Format(
"select\n" +
" PTH.INST_ID\n" +
",PTH.EMPLOYEE_ID\n" +
",DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_CODE,\n" +
",replace(DB.DESCRIPTION,',','')\n" +
",DB.WITHHOLDING_LIABILITY_ACCOUNT_MASK\n" +
",DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_ID\n" +
",DBH.CHECK_DATE\n" +
",DBH.CHECK_NO\n" +
",DBH.FIN_INST_ACCT_ID\n" +
",replace(replace (DBH.COMMENT,CHAR(10),' '),CHAR(13),' ')\n" +
",DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFIT_CYCLE_CODE\n" +
",DBH.LENGTH\n" +
",DBH.EMPLOYEE_COMPUTED_AMOUNT\n" +
",DBH.EMPLOYEE_BANK_ROUTING_NUMBER\n" +
",DBH.EMPLOYEE_ACCOUNT_TYPE\n" +
",DBH.EMPLOYEE_ACCOUNT_NUMBER\n" +
",DBH.EMPLOYER_COMPUTED_AMOUNT\n" +
",DBH.EMPLOYEE_GROSS_AMOUNT\n" +
",DBH.EMPLOYER_GROSS_AMOUNT\n" +
",DBH.PAYROLL_EXCLUDE\n" +
",PTH.VOID_DATE\n" +
",PTH.BATCH_QUEUE_ID\n" +
",B.BATCH_CODE\n" +
",BQ.FY\n" +
",BQ.END_DATE\n" +
",BQ.COMMENTS\n" +
",BQ.BATCH_CRITERIA_USED\n" +
",BP.COLUMN_VALUE\n" +
",PTH.REPLACEMENT\n" +
",P.LAST_NAME\n" +
",P.FIRST_NAME\n" +
",P.MIDDLE_NAME\n" +
" from PY_EMPLOYEE_TAX_HISTORY PTH\n" +
" INNER JOIN PERSON_EMPLOYEE PE ON\n" +
" PE.INST_ID=PTH.INST_ID AND\n" +
" PE.EMPLOYEE_ID=PTH.EMPLOYEE_ID\n" +
" INNER JOIN PERSON P ON\n" +
" PE.INST_ID=P.INST_ID AND\n" +
" PE.PERSON_ID=P.PERSON_ID\n" +
" LEFT JOIN HR_EMPLOYEE_DEDUCTIONS_AND_BENEFITS_HISTORY DBH ON\n" +
" PTH.INST_ID=DBH.INST_ID AND\n" +
" PTH.CHECK_DATE=DBH.CHECK_DATE AND\n" +
" PTH.CHECK_NO=DBH.CHECK_NO AND\n" +
" PTH.EMPLOYEE_ID=DBH.EMPLOYEE_ID\n" +
" LEFT JOIN HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS DB ON\n" +
" DB.INST_ID=DBH.INST_ID AND\n" +
" DB.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_CODE=DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_CODE\n" +
" LEFT JOIN BATCH_QUEUE BQ ON\n" +
" PTH.BATCH_QUEUE_ID=BQ.BATCH_QUEUE_ID\n" +
" LEFT JOIN BATCH B ON\n" +
" B.BATCH_CODE=BQ.BATCH_CODE\n" +
" LEFT JOIN BATCH_PARAMETER BP ON\n" +
" BQ.BATCH_QUEUE_ID=BP.BATCH_QUEUE_ID\n" +
" AND BP.COLUMN_NAME = 'SUPPRESS_DIRECT_DEPOSIT'\n" +
" WHERE PTH.CHECK_DATE >='{0}'\n" +
" AND PTH.CHECK_DATE <='{1}'\n" +
" and BQ.BATCH_CODE='BAT_PY_PAYCALC'\n" +
" and bq.fy=2014\n" +
" ORDER BY PTH.INST_ID\n" +
",PTH.EMPLOYEE_ID\n" +
",DBH.HR_DEDUCTION_AND_BENEFITS_CODE\n" +
",DBH.CHECK_DATE", startDateStr, endDateStr);
SqlDataAdapter adapter = new SqlDataAdapter(SQL, connStr);
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
adapter.Fill(dt);
jdweng
Could you elaborate more on what this code does in general?
Does it generate a table with the data between specified dates? If so, where is the table shown? 
Where does one enter in the specified start and end dates on the Web Application? Do I have to create start and end date blanks and link them to the code for it to work?
Sorry for the inconvenience - I'm just really new at this. Thanks!