GetSqlServerDatabases - Retrieving the name of the installed SQL Server databases

' Returns an array with the installed SQL Server databases
' The first param must be a valid connection string to the 'master' database
' Requires Imports System.Data.SqlClient
'
' Example:
'   Dim databases() As String = GetSqlServerDatabases( '      "server=(local); 
' Database=master; user id=sa; password=;")
'   Dim database As String
'   For Each database In databases
'       Debug.WriteLine(database)
'   Next

Function GetSqlServerDatabases(ByVal masterConnString As String) As String()
    Dim cn As New SqlConnection(masterConnString)
    Dim databases As New ArrayList()
    ' retrieve the name of all the databases from the sysdatabases table
    Dim cmd As New SqlCommand("SELECT [name] FROM sysdatabases", cn)
    cn.Open()
    Dim reader As SqlDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader()
    While reader.Read()
        ' add the name to the arraylist
        databases.Add(reader("name"))
    End While
    cn.Close()
    ' retrieve and return an array of strings from the arraylist filled above
    Return databases.ToArray(GetType(String))
End Function