(local) name explanation please

In some SQL2K instances, I have (LOCAL) in others its (Local) and in
development code the connect to server parameter is always local.
Where is (local) associated to 127.0.0.1 or local server name?
If I have 2 or more instances of SQL Server on my maching which one would
(local) refer too?
TIA
Neil.(local) or . refers to the local machine. The dot (.) or local tells the
client that the host is local and not remote, such that a local pipe
connection can be made. This avoids going on the network. This applied
more so to SQL 6.5, and SQL 7.0, since with SQL 2000 we use Shared Memory
for local connections.
Thanks,
Kevin McDonnell
Microsoft Corporation
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.|||Thanks for your response.
So this is pipe and not tcp/ip then. Can you point me to any books
on-line/help files that actually explain the local usage please as they must
be somewhere?
Also do you know why LOCAL is uppercase on some machines and lowercase on
others in EM I mean?
thanks
"Kevin McDonnell [MSFT]" wrote:

> (local) or . refers to the local machine. The dot (.) or local tells th
e
> client that the host is local and not remote, such that a local pipe
> connection can be made. This avoids going on the network. This applied
> more so to SQL 6.5, and SQL 7.0, since with SQL 2000 we use Shared Memory
> for local connections.
> Thanks,
> Kevin McDonnell
> Microsoft Corporation
> This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
>
>|||Yes. local pipe is a pipe connection not a socket based connection.
We mention local pipes briefly in Books Online under the topic "Client and
Server Net-Libraries".
I've also seen it discussed in Network programming books.
"Windows NT Network Programming" Davis.
Thanks,
Kevin McDonnell
Microsoft Corporation
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.sql