[c#] Using stored procedure output parameters in C#

I am having a problem returning an output parameter from a Sql Server stored procedure into a C# variable. I have read the other posts concerning this, not only here but on other sites, and I cannot get it to work. Here is what I currently have. Currently I am just trying to print the value that comes back. The following code returns a null value. What I an trying to return is the primary key. I have tried using @@IDENTITY and SCOPE_INDENTITY() (i.e. SET @NewId = SCOPE_IDENTITY()).

Stored Procedure:

CREATE PROCEDURE usp_InsertContract
    @ContractNumber varchar(7),

    @NewId int OUTPUT
AS
BEGIN

    INSERT into [dbo].[Contracts] (ContractNumber)
        VALUES (@ContractNumber)

    Select @NewId = Id From [dbo].[Contracts] where ContractNumber = @ContractNumber
END

Opening the database:

pvConnectionString = "Server = Desktop-PC\\SQLEXPRESS; Database = PVDatabase; User ID = sa;
    PASSWORD = *******; Trusted_Connection = True;";

try
{
    pvConnection = new SqlConnection(pvConnectionString);
    pvConnection.Open();
}
catch (Exception e)
{
    databaseError = true;
}

Executing the command:

pvCommand = new SqlCommand("usp_InsertContract", pvConnection);

pvCommand.Transaction = pvTransaction;
pvCommand.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;    

pvCommand.Parameters.Clear();
pvCommand.Parameters.Add(new SqlParameter("@ContractNumber", contractNumber));

SqlParameter pvNewId = new SqlParameter();
pvNewId.ParameterName = "@NewId";
pvNewId.DbType = DbType.Int32;
pvNewId.Direction = ParameterDirection.Output;
pvCommand.Parameters.Add(pvNewId);

try
{
    sqlRows = pvCommand.ExecuteNonQuery();

    if (sqlRows > 0)
        Debug.Print("New Id Inserted =  ", 
            pvCommand.Parameters["@NewId"].Value.ToString()); 
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
        Debug.Print("Insert Exception Type: {0}", e.GetType());
        Debug.Print("  Message: {0}", e.Message);
    }
}

I slightly modified your stored procedure (to use SCOPE_IDENTITY) and it looks like this:

CREATE PROCEDURE usp_InsertContract
    @ContractNumber varchar(7),
    @NewId int OUTPUT
AS
BEGIN
    INSERT INTO [dbo].[Contracts] (ContractNumber)
    VALUES (@ContractNumber)

    SELECT @NewId = SCOPE_IDENTITY()
END

I tried this and it works just fine (with that modified stored procedure):

// define connection and command, in using blocks to ensure disposal
using(SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(pvConnectionString ))
using(SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("dbo.usp_InsertContract", conn))
{
    cmd.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;

    // set up the parameters
    cmd.Parameters.Add("@ContractNumber", SqlDbType.VarChar, 7);
    cmd.Parameters.Add("@NewId", SqlDbType.Int).Direction = ParameterDirection.Output;

    // set parameter values
    cmd.Parameters["@ContractNumber"].Value = contractNumber;

    // open connection and execute stored procedure
    conn.Open();
    cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();

    // read output value from @NewId
    int contractID = Convert.ToInt32(cmd.Parameters["@NewId"].Value);
    conn.Close();
}

Does this work in your environment, too? I can't say why your original code won't work - but when I do this here, VS2010 and SQL Server 2008 R2, it just works flawlessly....

If you don't get back a value - then I suspect your table Contracts might not really have a column with the IDENTITY property on it.

Before changing stored procedure please check what is the output of your current one. In SQL Server Management run following:

DECLARE @NewId int
EXEC    @return_value = [dbo].[usp_InsertContract]
            N'Gary',
            @NewId OUTPUT
SELECT  @NewId

See what it returns. This may give you some hints of why your out param is not filled.

In your C# code, you are using transaction for the command. Just commit the transaction and after that access your parameter value, you will get the value. Worked for me. :)

Stored Procedure.........

CREATE PROCEDURE usp_InsertContract
    @ContractNumber varchar(7)
AS
BEGIN

    INSERT into [dbo].[Contracts] (ContractNumber)
        VALUES (@ContractNumber)

    SELECT SCOPE_IDENTITY() AS [SCOPE_IDENTITY]
END

C#

pvCommand.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;

pvCommand.Parameters.Clear();
pvCommand.Parameters.Add(new SqlParameter("@ContractNumber", contractNumber));
object uniqueId;
int id;
    try
    {
    uniqueId = pvCommand.ExecuteScalar();
     id = Convert.ToInt32(uniqueId);
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
        Debug.Print("  Message: {0}", e.Message);
    }
}

EDIT: "I still get back a DBNull value....Object cannot be cast from DBNull to other types. I'll take this up again tomorrow. I'm off to my other job,"

I believe the Id column in your SQL Table isn't a identity column.