Is there a difference between (local), '.' and localhost?

Question

I\'ve used all three of these when making local programmatic connections to databases. Is there any real difference between them?

Answer 1

They are generally synonyms. However, it depends on the application you are configuring. As long as the app understands what you mean, it shouldn't result in a performance loss. At least, not one you have to root out prematurely, if you get my drift.