Runtime database connection details setup

[eluser]Unknown[/eluser]
Hello,
How can I access the database connect variables in one of my controllers? Something like /config/database.php, the reason for this is I must access multiple databases and don't know the connection details until runtime.
I could write a simple static php that reads the details, outputs in the /config/database.php and starts the CI application but that's really ugly coding, I'd like something like:
-no db autoconnect in config.
-controller1 reads the connection details: host, db, user, pass and stores in session
-controller2,3,4... reads from session and does something like:
$this->db->config->host= $this->db->config->user= etc and then $this->db->connect();

I don't know the number of DBs involved so multiple profiles in database.php is not an option.

Thank you!

[eluser]theprodigy[/eluser]
According to the database section of the user_guide

To connect manually to a desired database you can pass an array of values:
$config['hostname'] = "localhost";
$config['username'] = "myusername";
$config['password'] = "mypassword";
$config['database'] = "mydatabase";
$config['dbdriver'] = "mysql";
$config['dbprefix'] = "";
$config['pconnect'] = FALSE;
$config['db_debug'] = TRUE;
$config['cache_on'] = FALSE;
$config['cachedir'] = "";
$config['char_set'] = "utf8";
$config['dbcollat'] = "utf8_general_ci";

$this->load->database($config);

Just fill the config array with the necessary values at runtime, then pass it into the load->database call.

To connect to multiple databases, just set some variables equal to the load->database call, and pass in TRUE for the second parameter (it's listed in the same section of the user guide)

If you need to connect to more than one database simultaneously you can do so as follows:
$DB1 = $this->load->database('group_one', TRUE);
$DB2 = $this->load->database('group_two', TRUE);

Use these two in techniques together, and come up with something like:

Code:

$config['hostname'] = "localhost";
$config['username'] = "myusername";
$config['password'] = "mypassword";
$config['database'] = "mydatabase";
$config['dbdriver'] = "mysql";
$config['dbprefix'] = "";
$config['pconnect'] = FALSE;
$config['db_debug'] = TRUE;
$config['cache_on'] = FALSE;
$config['cachedir'] = "";
$config['char_set'] = "utf8";
$config['dbcollat'] = "utf8_general_ci";

$DB1 = $this->load->database($config, TRUE);

$config['username'] = "myusername_2";
$config['password'] = "mypassword_2";
$config['database'] = "mydatabase_2";

$DB2 = $this->load->database($config, TRUE);

If you need to be connected to both databases at the same time, make sure to leave pconnect set to false, otherwise you may run into issues.