Question

I have a C# application which connects to a SQL Server database. Everything works well(select, insert, update, delete, etc.). I decided to take my application, database files to a new computer. I knew before that it wouldn’t work. I made changes to my application, tried connection string for attached database file, but no luck. It seems I need database driver. But it’s not the end. I need to set up database parameters(logins, instance, etc.).
Do I need to install SQL Server(I think it’s very bad practice) or is it possible to do it with installer programs? Any thoughts, links would be great. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

if it’s a small/medium load program with no much SQL features in (and I think it is), I recommend you to use SQL CE (Compact Edition).
it will be just a DLL that will be included in your program, and it has the driver required to connect to your database, with no other dependencies.

introduction to SQL CE and VS2010 SP1: http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2011/01/11/vs-2010-sp1-and-sql-ce.aspx

just make sure that you have VisualStudio 2010 with SP1 installed before installing SQL CE.

SQL CE Download link: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=212219

from ScottGu’s blog:

SQL CE does not require you to run a setup or install a database
server in order to use it. You can simply copy the SQL CE binaries
into the \bin directory of your ASP.NET application, and then your web
application can use it as a database engine. No setup or extra
security permissions are required for it to run. You do not need to
have an administrator account on the machine. Just copy your web
application onto any server and it will work. This is true even of
medium-trust applications running in a web hosting environment.

SQL CE runs in-memory within your ASP.NET application and will
start-up when you first access a SQL CE database, and will
automatically shutdown when your application is unloaded. SQL CE
databases are stored as files that live within the \App_Data folder of
your ASP.NET Applications.