Which database to use locally in a desktop application?

Question

I have two different options using database in a desktop application. I prefer the Service-based database even locally. But should I use the Local database instead?

Answer 1

Best integrated in the .Net / VS enviroment is properly MS SQL Compact:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL_Server_Compact

But there are alternative like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQLite

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/93654/is-there-a-net-c-wrapper-for-sqlite

Answer 2

Usually depends on where it'll be deployed. If you're deploying it in an environment that you control I'd usually go with a service-based, but if you need to send it out to clients it depends on the client. Clients with technical staff would probably want the service-based, but if it's a small client with no technical staff/knowledge that just want to click and run, then a local database might be best.

Answer 3

Depends of further requirements.

Server-Based: MS-SQL Express. Is essentially the same engine as larger editions, this will scale well when you need it bigger. Note that there is an attached-file mode that means you don't need to permanently register each database with the server.

Local: SQL Compact Editon, embedded file-based solution. Much easier to deploy but not 100% upward compatible. Basically a single-user solution (but that is going to change with v4)

Answer 4

For a desktop application you should consider using Sqlite, with the C# wrapper library here, I've been using it in a project and it works great, easy to use, quick and everything goes into a single file.

It's not designed for multiple user environment though, so you wouldn't want to use it as the database for a web service backend for instance.

I also use NHibernate and NHibernate.Linq to interact with the data, you can get a build of both which are compatible here: http://www.dennisdoomen.net/2009/07/nhibernate-210-ga-with-linq-and-fluent.html

Answer 5

You must take a look at Firebird