Does SQL Server Compact Edition depend on the .net framework?

Question

My company is looking at using SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 as a datastore for a few programs that have been developed over the last several years. Most of these programs are were written in C++ and are installed on some older machines with Windows 2000, XP, or Vista installed. Does SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 depend on the .net framework? In otherwords, can I package and deploy a C++ program with a SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 database on older versions of Windows without needing to install the .net framework? If it does depend on the .net framework which version of the framework?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi

SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 would need .NET Framework 3.5

This article speaks more about it http://www.sqlmag.com/Articles/ArticleID/99240/99240.html?Ad=1

cheers

Answer 2

SQL Server Compact Edition does not depend on the .NET framework and can be deployed and used with a purely unmanaged, C++ client using the OLEDB provider.

Most of the management and development tools do however rely on the .NET framework and most development is probably done using the ADO.NET provider, which does require the framework.

This article goes into the subject a bit further.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms172914.aspx