Issue with sqlexpress connection in windows forms application

Question

Hello

I'm trying to develop a text-based rpg game in C# using sql express in C# 2008 express.  I'm still trying to figure out if the way that I want to develop the application is possilbe/reasonable.

• use a richtext box and buttons for dialog and controls.
• manage the sqlexpress connection using code not controls.
• use a class structure to make the SqlConnection methods/members available to all controls on a form, as opposed to defining a new instance of the connection for every control.

Googling has given a number of console-oriented solutions, but nothing for windows forms that has matched. The closest I found demonstrated all of the connection activity being repeated per control.

what I've managed to get put together so far is very little.

 using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace Trpg
{
   
    public partial class TRPG : Form
    {
        //inserting class for sql connect here
         public class Connect
            {
        SqlConnection tconnect;

        public object TRPGConnect()
        {
            tconnect = new SqlConnection(@"server = .\sqlexpress;integrated security = true                ;database = trpg");
            return tconnect;
        }
            }
        //end of sql connect class here


        // create an instance of the connection.
        Connect trpgc = new Connect();
        
        

        public TRPG()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void btnExit_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Application.Exit();
        }

        private void TRPG_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            

        }
        
        public void testConnect()
        {
            tconnect.Open();
            tconnect.Close();
        }
}
}

The error message I get is "error CS0103: The name 'tconnect' does not exist in the current context". I take it that is a scope issue, but I don't understand where my error is.

Any help is very much appreciated. I will keep looking to see if I can figure it out.