SqlHelper

        private static void PrepareCommand(SqlCommand cmd, SqlConnection conn, SqlTransaction trans, CommandType cmdType, string cmdText, SqlParameter[] cmdParms) {

            if (conn.State != ConnectionState.Open)
                conn.Open();

            cmd.Connection = conn;
            cmd.CommandText = cmdText;

            if (trans != null)
                cmd.Transaction = trans;

            cmd.CommandType = cmdType;

            if (cmdParms != null) {
                foreach (SqlParameter parm in cmdParms)
                    cmd.Parameters.Add(parm);
            }
        }

 public static SqlDataReader ExecuteReader(string connectionString, CommandType cmdType, string cmdText, params SqlParameter[] commandParameters) {
            SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand();
            SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connectionString);

            // we use a try/catch here because if the method throws an exception we want to
            // close the connection throw code, because no datareader will exist, hence the
            // commandBehaviour.CloseConnection will not work
            try {
                PrepareCommand(cmd, conn, null, cmdType, cmdText, commandParameters);
                SqlDataReader rdr = cmd.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior.CloseConnection);
                cmd.Parameters.Clear();
                return rdr;
            }
            catch {
                conn.Close();
                throw;
            }
        }

        public static int ExecuteNonQuery(string connectionString, CommandType cmdType, string cmdText, params SqlParameter[] commandParameters) {

            SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand();

            using (SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connectionString)) {
                PrepareCommand(cmd, conn, null, cmdType, cmdText, commandParameters);
                int val = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
                cmd.Parameters.Clear();
                return val;
            }
        }

        public static object ExecuteScalar(string connectionString, CommandType cmdType, string cmdText, params SqlParameter[] commandParameters) {
            SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand();

            using (SqlConnection connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString)) {
                PrepareCommand(cmd, connection, null, cmdType, cmdText, commandParameters);
                object val = cmd.ExecuteScalar();
                cmd.Parameters.Clear();
                return val;
            }
        }