Question

I have a .NET software with me which would install in the computer. That software will gather the information from some source, and that information will be increase day by day. Which would be the best way to store this data into the users computer?
data is made up of the text and some very small size images.

Please ask me questions, if you have any regarding this, so that I can improve this question.

Answer 1

I can give you two recomendations for databases I have and would use in a .NET desktop application:

SQL Server Compact (Wikipedia)

Microsoft SQL Server Compact (SQL CE) is a compact relational database produced by Microsoft for applications that run on mobile devices and desktops. Prior to the introduction of the desktop platform, it was known as SQL Server for Windows CE and SQL Server Mobile Edition. The latest release is the SQL Server Compact 4.0 supporting .NET Framework 4.0, and dropping support for Windows Mobile in this release.

System.Data.SQLite (Homepage)

System.Data.SQLite is the original SQLite database engine and a complete ADO.NET 2.0/3.5 provider all rolled into a single mixed mode assembly. It is a complete drop-in replacement for the original sqlite3.dll (you can even rename it to sqlite3.dll if you’re using it natively).

They are generally both very good options and probably the most common embedded databases in .NET, but of course it depends on your requirements which one you should choose.

If you have worked with SQL Server before, SQL Server Compact might have a lower learning-curve to get started and you can use it with the SQL Management Studio.

In my personal opinion I like SQLite a lot.

These links might be helpful to make your decision:

• SQL Server Compact vs. SQLLite
• SQLite vs. SQL CE
• Advantages and Disadvantages of SQLite.NET and SQL Server Compact
• What are the limitations to SQL Server Compact? (Or – how does one choose a database to use on MS platforms?)