---
title: "Named Commands | Microsoft Docs"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: connectivity
ms.technology: connectivity
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "01/19/2017"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "named commands [ADO]"
  - "commands [ADO]"
ms.assetid: 5a0ec8f9-5ba3-4f9f-b80d-2073aa049586
author: MightyPen
ms.author: genemi
---
# Named Commands
[Creating and Executing a Simple Command](../../../ado/guide/data/creating-and-executing-a-simple-command.md) shows one way to execute a command. There is another way: you can make it a named command, and then call this named command directly on the **Connection** object (assigned to the **ActiveConnection** property of the **Command** object). Naming a command means assigning a name to the **Name** property of a **Command** object. For example,  
  
```  
objCmd.Name = "GetCustomers"  
objCmd.ActiveConnection = objConn  
objConn.GetCustomers objRs  
```  
  
 The named command acts as if it were a "custom method" on the **Connection** object. The result of the command is returned as an out parameter of this "custom method".  
  
 The following example illustrates this feature.  
  
```  
'BeginNamedCmd  
    On Error GoTo ErrHandler:  
  
    Dim objConn As New ADODB.Connection  
    Dim objCmd As New ADODB.Command  
    Dim objRs As New ADODB.Recordset  
  
    ' Connect to the data source.  
    Set objConn = GetNewConnection  
  
    objCmd.CommandText = "SELECT CustomerID, CompanyName FROM Customers"  
    objCmd.CommandType = adCmdText  
  
    'Name the command.  
    objCmd.Name = "GetCustomers"  
  
    objCmd.ActiveConnection = objConn  
  
    ' Execute using Command.Name from the Connection.  
    objConn.GetCustomers objRs  
  
    ' Display.  
    Do While Not objRs.EOF  
        Debug.Print objRs(0) & vbTab & objRs(1)  
        objRs.MoveNext  
    Loop  
  
    'clean up  
    objRs.Close  
    objConn.Close  
    Set objRs = Nothing  
    Set objConn = Nothing  
    Set objCmd = Nothing  
    Exit Sub  
  
ErrHandler:  
    'clean up  
    If objRs.State = adStateOpen Then  
        objRs.Close  
    End If  
  
    If objConn.State = adStateOpen Then  
        objConn.Close  
    End If  
  
    Set objRs = Nothing  
    Set objConn = Nothing  
    Set objCmd = Nothing  
  
    If Err <> 0 Then  
        MsgBox Err.Source & "-->" & Err.Description, , "Error"  
    End If  
'EndNamedCmd  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [Connection Object (ADO)](../../../ado/reference/ado-api/connection-object-ado.md)