I want to get the data from the access database to a text file in c#, i have written the following code but i am not getting any output -

private void button3_click(object sender, eventargs e) {     try {         connection.open();         oledbcommand command = new oledbcommand();         command.connection = connection;         command.commandtext = "select action rvrait";         oledbdatareader reader = command.executereader();         richtextbox1.text = (reader["action"].tostring());         connection.close();     }     catch(system.data.oledb.oledbexception)     {     } 

your problem missing reader.read() call. after creating oledbdatareader cannot start taking content of column in interested. reader not positioned on first record returned query (if any).

private void button3_click(object sender, eventargs e) {      connection.open();     oledbcommand command = new oledbcommand();     command.connection = connection;     command.commandtext = "select action rvrait";     oledbdatareader reader = command.executereader();     if(reader.read())          richtextbox1.text = (reader["action"].tostring());     connection.close();  } 

in way move reader on first record , take content of column if there true returned call read().
pattern has been conceived facilitate reading more 1 record.
example...

list<string> listofactions = new list<string>(); while(reader.read())      listofactions.add(reader["action"].tostring()); 

note have removed empty try/catch. should avoided if don't plan exception because if leave in place hiding possible errors