Create a database connection

1. Create a new connection from Database->Create Database Connection and select a driver for your database from the popup menu.
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2. An Object View tab for the new connection is opened:
   
   
3. Enter a name for the connection in the Name field, and optionally enter a description of the connection in the Notes field,
4. Leave the Database Type as Auto Detect,
5. If the selected driver in Driver Type is marked with a green checkmark then it is ready to use. If it is not marked with a green checkmark,  you may have to configure the driver in the Driver Manager (see Installing a JDBC Driver how to install a JDBC driver),
6. Enter information about the database server in the remaining fields (see below for details),
7. Verify that a network connection can be established to the specified address and port by clicking the Ping Server button,
8. If the result from Ping Server shows that the server can be reached, click Connect to connect to the database server.
   
   

Alternatively, you can set the Settings Format to Database URL (this is the only choice for some JDBC drivers). This replaces the fields for information about the database server with a single Database URL field, where you can enter the JDBC URL.