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Imports Microsoft.VisualBasic
Imports MySql.Data.MySqlClient 'only needed because I use MySQL
 
Public Class user_details
 
  Private Shared _userref as Integer
 
  Public Shared Property userref as integer
    get
         return _userref
    end get
 
    set(ByVal value as Integer)
         _userref = value
    end set
  End Property
 
  Public shared function forename() as string
    Dim conn as new mysqlconnection("your_connection_string")
    Dim mycommand as new mysqlcommand
    mycommand.connection = conn
    Dim rs as new mysqldatareader
         Try
               mycommand.commandtext = "SELECT forename FROM users WHERE userref=?userref"
               mycommand.parameters.addwithvalue("userref",userref)
               conn.open()
               rs = mycommand.executereader()
               if rs.hasrows then
                    rs.read()
                    return rs("forename")
               else
                    return ""
               end if
               rs.close
          catch ex as exception
               return ex.message.tostring
          finally
               mycommand.dispose()
               conn.close
               conn.dispose
           end try
  End Function
 
End Class

Sub Page_Load
      if not ispostback then
                user_details.userref = 1 'or whatever value you want
 
                lbl_userforename.text = user_details.forename
      end if
end sub