SqlServerCompact35 2.2.0.7. Allows SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2 to be used with Entity Framework Core. Requires the SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2 runtime.
I have a legacy program which uses SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2. (The program has very simple database needs.)I also think I have SQL Server 2008 Express installed (but it lists as just Microsoft SQL Server 2008, so I'm not sure exactly what I have. I didn't buy or pay for anything so it's whatever free version there was.)
1. Is there any conflict between SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2 and SQL Server 2008 Express?
2. If I install a database in one will it show up in the other?
3. When one installs a database into SQL )(such as the Northwind database), where does the data actually reside on the hard drive? Or do I not need to concern myself with such things, and just be confident that SQL has everything under control, and there won't be any privilege issues., because it's really an SQL server process handing the database and not my user's limited privilege process.
4. Except, how does one backup the database if one doesn't know what files to backup?
5. How does one create an installer for a program that includes installing a database (or at least a sample database for the user to start with) into SQL (or SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2, or SQL Server 2008 Express, if they are two separate things). Is this done during install, or at run time the first time the user runs the program?
Connection Strings:
![Microsoft sql server compact 3.5 sp2 Microsoft sql server compact 3.5 sp2](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_S3gOGymJVuE/TAKJC4oKIEI/AAAAAAAAATA/aoE-LOH0gbg/x64sqlce_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800)
Data Source=.SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|dbase.mdf;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True
6. Does SQLEXPRESS refer to SQL Server 2008 Express or SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2?
Another connection string I have is:
7. What's the difference between using a *.mdf file and a *.sdf file?
8. Where is DataDirectory? How do I set that? Does it need to be in a directory where user has write privilege, or is read privilege good enough?
9. Can you recommend something simpler than SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2? The program just needs to store and retrieve simple data. No complex queries are needed or used. The program may eventually want to migrate to other operating systems.