Attribute VB_Name = "dbSettings"

Public Function ConnectionString() As String
    Dim sqlSettings() As Variant
    Dim SqlServer, SqlDBName, SqlUserName, SqlPassword As String

    'read in sql parameters
    sqlSettings = getSettings

    'move parameters into readable variable names
    SqlServer = sqlSettings(0)
    SqlDBName = sqlSettings(1)
    SqlUserName = sqlSettings(2)
    SqlPassword = sqlSettings(3)

    'construct connection string
    ConnectionString = "Provider=sqloledb;data source=" & SqlServer _
        & ";initial catalog=" & SqlDBName _
        & ";user id=" & SqlUserName _
        & ";password=" & SqlPassword
End Function

Private Function getSettings() As Variant
    Dim myFSO As New FileSystemObject
    Dim path As String
    Dim fileName As String
    Dim sqlSettings() As Variant

    path = "C:\path\to\file\"
    fileName = "dbSettings.ini"
    i = 0
    x = 0

    Set fso = myFSO.OpenTextFile(path + fileName)

'ignore comments (begind with hyphen)
'accept setting as variable in array (begins after trailing space after colon)
    Do Until fso.AtEndOfStream
        txt = fso.ReadLine
        ReDim Preserve sqlSettings(i)
        For x = 1 To Len(txt)
            If Mid(txt, x, 1) = "-" Then
                Exit For
            End If
            If Mid(txt, x, 1) = ":" Then
                sqlSettings(i) = sqlSettings(i) + Mid(txt, x + 2, Len(txt))
                Exit For
            End If
        Next
        i = i + 1
    Loop

    getSettings = sqlSettings

    fso.Close

    LogDiagnosticsMessage "Loaded SQL settings from file"

End Function