MDB or SDF?? Access or SQL Server Compact Edition???

9 Feb 2007 9:48 PM

Paul Aspinall

Hi
I'm looking to find a debate / discussion on the merits of coding a .NET
application with either MDB or SDF files?? (ie. Access versus SQL Server
Compact Edition)

I guess the official line would be that SDF files should be used; but what
advantages does each have over the other??

Is there a MS paper discussing this?

Thanks

10 Feb 2007 10:21 PM

William (Bill) Vaughn

Ah, I wrote a whole book on the merits and differences between
SQLCe/Access/JET and SQL Server. (see www.hitchhikerguides.net).
In a nutshell, the SQLCe engine is smaller, faster and less-feature rich
than the others, but fully suitable for many light DBMS
applications--especially where you need to replicate with SQL Server. Unlike
any of the others SQLCe is fully encryptable and deployable as a set of 6
(or so) DLLs. It can be programmed with its own .NET namespace (SqlCe) or
via OLEDB (but that's not something I recommend). It can only support a
single user (unlike the others) so it's unsuitable for multiuser
applications.

hth

--
____________________________________
William (Bill) Vaughn
Author, Mentor, Consultant
Microsoft MVP
INETA Speaker
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www.betav.com
Please reply only to the newsgroup so that others can benefit.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
__________________________________
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Show quote

"Paul Aspinall" <p***@aspy.co.uk> wrote in message
news:D_5zh.267882$Kh7.166750@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
> Hi
> I'm looking to find a debate / discussion on the merits of coding a .NET
> application with either MDB or SDF files?? (ie. Access versus SQL Server
> Compact Edition)
>
> I guess the official line would be that SDF files should be used; but what
> advantages does each have over the other??
>
> Is there a MS paper discussing this?
>
> Thanks
>
>

12 Feb 2007 5:56 PM

Paul Clement

On Fri, 09 Feb 2007 21:48:19 GMT, "Paul Aspinall" <p***@aspy.co.uk> wrote:

¤ Hi
¤ I'm looking to find a debate / discussion on the merits of coding a .NET
¤ application with either MDB or SDF files?? (ie. Access versus SQL Server
¤ Compact Edition)
¤
¤ I guess the official line would be that SDF files should be used; but what
¤ advantages does each have over the other??
¤
¤ Is there a MS paper discussing this?

Personally I think they address different solutions so you probably won't see a whitepaper comparing
the two.

It's much easier to discuss the merits of each when the requirements of the application are known.

Paul
~~~~
Microsoft MVP (Visual Basic)