Is it possible to create an SQLite database programmatically in C# - by coding.
I was using an XML to store information I needed in my application but it has gotten to the stage where the amount of data being read from the XML is such that the performance of the application is suffering.
As I understand it SQLite databases can be read from and added to faster using the provided System.data.Sqlite functionality.
Is this correct?
[edit]
In addition I should mention i'm doing all this in unity 3d with Monodevelop.
I believe you don't even need to explicitly create an SQLite database to work with it, just put its name in a connection string and it will be automatically created when you create a table in it.
you could use code-first feature in Entity framework: the 4.0 capable providers also add DeleteDatabase/CreateDatabase/DatabaseExists functionality.
more info at:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/adonet/archive/2010/12/14/ef-feature-ctp5-code-first-walkthrough.aspx
Use SQL Server CE.
You can create a database file like this:
Create a SQL Server Compact Edition Database with C#
I'd use this because is "official" MS database. So it will work fine with MS technologies (Linq to SQL, Entity framework, etc.) It's also a very lightweight DB. Take into acount that there's also available SQL Server Express, but that's not such a lightweight database.
Code to create database:
string connectionString;
string fileName = “ArcaneCode.sdf”;
string password = “arcanecode”;
connectionString = string.Format(
“DataSource=\”{0}\”; Password=’{1}’”, fileName, password);
SqlCeEngine en = new SqlCeEngine(connectionString);
en.CreateDatabase();
Distributing it only requires copying a few small assemblies (for example the installer for SQL Server CE 2005 it's a 1.7Mb .msi file which results in 7 assemblies) Zero configuration. And there are versions which can be used with .NET framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 (version SQL Server 2005 up to SQL CE 4.0).
If someone can't see the adavantage of being supported by MS, so that using it with C# and otherMS technologies, and having a good documentation on MSDN.
I suppose that I got downvotes because someone is allergic to MS. If not, let me know why.
Related
I want to know if there's way to achieve LINQ to SQL today with MySQL database to generate a *dbml file?
I need the dbml file while running a MySQL database.I been going through a lot of old posts but didn't find the ideal solution.
I'm running .NET 4.7 with VS.
Linq-to-SQL was a "proof-of-concept" project for showing off the power of Linq and C# - but it only supports SQL Server and has no extensibility capabilities - and it's been long deprecated, too.
You should check out either Entity Framework which allows you to use Linq-to-Entities, or something like Dapper to access MySQL from .NET
I am developing a small application with ASP and C# in .NET and I want to have a small local database next to it where I can save and retrieve records by either SQL queries or Linq queries. I don't need anything powerful, just something to use instead of keeping records in .txt files.
So what's your suggestion?
Use SQLite
It does not have to be installed and is just a DB File and there are connectors to .Net available.
And you can use LINQ
I would go with either SQLLite or with XML since you are saying very small database.
And with xml you can use Linq to xml
You can use SQL CE or SQLite.
Best to use SQL Express edition since it comes for free. Try using .NET entity framework code first for rapid application development.
In any case application is very small consider using SQL express since you can write neat and clean stored procedures and can play with other database objects.
Please refer http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/express.aspx for more details.
I'll consider SQLite for this purposes.
If you are more comfortable with MS tools, or for some reason (i.e. your company already has a well formed mdb database file) you can use MS Access too, for local and small applications.
I recommend you to use SQL Server Express, becuase
It is free to use and easy to install
You can easily use either Entity Framework or LINQ TO SQL to manipulate your data
It can easily communicate with your company's DB ( if it is also SQL Server), for example, one day in the future, you may need to test the replication.
No one's mentioned it yet so here it is. mySQL and the .Net mySQL client.
In your case I would consider the following:
XML if you don't with more than a couple hundred records in all tables. And #Ali mentioned already LINQ to XML what will be handy.
VistaDB, because it's 100% managed code and require deployment of just one small assembly for both 32- and 64-bit.
SQL CE, just because it's the most popular one. Of course, it supports LINQ and concurrency.
SQLite as an alternative for SQL CE :)
Don't go with SQL Express unless it's been already provided by your hoster. It increases complexity of distributing/installing of your solution.
i have just started using visual studio 2008.I am working on c#.
I want to add SQL database particularly LOCAL database (.sdf) to my project and want to use queries which will save data in database and fetch some data from database and which will display and will perform different function.
So, if any body can give me any small tutorial or link that what are various types of databases i can use along with visual studio and and how will i be able to use it.
Any general tutorial will do.
Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Don't use .sdf databases.
I've worked with it but it was confusing. I was not able to use WHERE statements....
Use SQLite instead.
That is THE Solution.
Download SQLite here
Another tutorial
I recommend you the use of SQLite
Not sure why Gergen was unable to perform where statements. One issue I had with Compact edition was that I couldn't create stored procs or views. I don't have much experience with SQL Lite, so I can't give an opinion on that.
If you are doing web based stuff (i.e., asp.net), I found the following series a good introduction to database stuff: Data Access Tutorials
As for what database to use, as long as there's a provider for it, working with it via ADO.NET (or entity framework, or whatever) should be similar. If you are just starting, I'd probably recommend staying with the Compact Edition since most examples/tutorials you'll see will involved SQL Server.
For simple Local SQL database stores, there are quite a few solutions. A good full comparison can be found on from Wikipedia
SQL Express 2008
Out of process, runs as a windows service, supports stored procedures and views and does pretty much everything SQL standard does with few limitations. 50MB install.
Ideal for anything but large SQL deployments.
Loads of how to guides for SQL Express
SQL Compact Edition 3.5 (.sdf files)
In process, the code for accessing the database runs within the same process as your application. Ideal for embedded systems (point of sale, ATM, in-car systems etc...). Microsoft's equivilent to SQLite. Very small install (easy to deploy with app).
Getting started guide for SQL Compact Edition and a load of HowTos to get you going
SQLite
The non-Microsoft answer to an in process database. Pretty much the same functionality as SQL Compact Edition apart from it's a smaller install (300kb for SQLite vs. 2MB for SQL Compact edition), it supports larger database files (32TB for SQLite vs. 4GB for SQL Compact edition).
SQLite getting started article
Connecting to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 from Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 and 2008
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/s4yys16a(VS.71).aspx
I've never built anything using SQL Lite so I can't say much for it. I have, however, built several commercial applications using Compact Edition and haven't had any serious issues.
You can't batch commands with CE and the syntax is the same as Sql Server (with many missing features, but the most commonly used features are there and I've never had a problem without a work around of some sort).
I've really only used it as an "offline" database in an application for a company that dispatches repair technicians. The applications run on netbooks and download their data from a MySql database whenever mobile connectivity is available so they still have access to their work when they have no mobile coverage.
Due to it being so similar to SQL Server, Compact Edition would probably be an easier starting point. Since you're using a local database file you probably won't hit the 4GB limit (with very little pruning my mobile databases rarely exceed 20MB) - and if you ARE hitting that limit you may want to consider using a service based database (like Express) instead.
I need a lightweight database engine for a desktop application. The application is not data centric, although it needs some persistent data. Which one would you use MS SQL Server express edition or SQLite?
EDIT
Is SQL Server Compact edition free? If it is the case, what about SQLite vs SQL Server Compact edition to develop this kind of application?
Definitely NOT Sql Server Express. That's a server class engine. You want an in-process engine. In that regard, SQLite is fine. So is Sql Server Compact Edition. Both are free and either should be adequate for your needs.
If you're working with C# and Visual Studio simply right-click on your project and select "Add Item..." and in the dialog select the "Local database", this will create a SQL CE (Compact Edition) database. It's got most of the functionality of SQL Express/Server as far as tables, data types, views but doesn't allow stored procs. It also works with Linq-to-SQL so it's a snap to integrate.
Go with SQL Server Compact - you get to use LINQ that way, which itself is worth the effort.
While SQLite is an option, you'll need to get an ORM layer, and the performance gain will be minimal / non-existent compared to SQL Server.
Firebird is a well known database and support the latest Microsoft framework
SQLite, especially if it's single-user. One data file and one DLL.
If its a single user system you want to look at MS SQL Server compact edition not Express (see here: http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/compact.aspx )
Compact Edition is an embedable database similar to SQLite.
Unfortunately I can't make a recommendation either way.
What about MS SQL Server Compact?
Some love for one of the up and comers in the .NET embedded db world -- VistaDb. The license is a bit more restrictive than Sql Server Compact (free to single developers only), but its a 100% managed DB with xcopy deployment and has VS tool integration.
Be aware that if you use SQL CE along with EF, you will have to generate your own id key, because SQL CE does not support multiple query.
i.e:
insert -> select key for the entity -> not good
generate and id key (GUID or something else) add it to your entity and then insert -> good
Defo SQL lite, although it has some restrictions/features that you should be aware of
if your need is data centric, what you really need is a file, if you need transaction (ACID) then your need is (rdbms) database.
Otherwise you'll have issues when up scaling.
If it's not a lot of data, and you don't need to run complicated queries (although LINQ can), why not use an XML Dataset? That way it's platform independent (could run on Linux with Mono) and doesn't require the user to install extra resource hogging software.
I use XML Datasets extensively for applications that require persistent data storage of small amounts of information. If it's only a few variables, you can also use a settings file, and it will be stored either per application or per user depending on your choices.
Think about overhead for your end users ... SQL Server Express still takes up resources, takes time to start up on a reboot and so on. For a small amount of single-user persistent data I would go with SQLite. Unless you're doing serious binding and so on you won't need an ORM between you and it.
Complete newbie question here: I'm just playing with C# for the first time and want to make a Windows Forms application which stores some info in a database structure, but obviously don't want to require something like MySQL to be installed on each client's computer. How do I go about this?
You can use SQLite. It doesn't require any installation or server on the client's computers. Here is an blog describing how to use it with .NET. It is easy to use, just add a reference to the System.Data.SQLite.dll.
Here is an open source data provider for .NET: System.Data.SQLite
From homepage: "SQLite is a software library that implements a self-contained, serverless, zero-configuration, transactional SQL database engine. SQLite is the most widely deployed SQL database engine in the world. The source code for SQLite is in the public domain."
You use a database that doesn't require an install. There are a few out there - there's Microsoft SQL Server Compact, which frankly is badly named, as it won't support the more useful SQL functions like stored procedures, views and so on. There's also VistaDB which does support stored procs, but requires purchase if you want Visual Studio plugins.
The answer is Embedded Databases. You've got quite a large list of Embedded databases that you can use:
Commercial:
VistaDB - This database is written completely in managed C#.
Open Source:
Firebird - .NET Driver
SQLite - .NET Driver
You could write your data to XML files, or you could take a look at the Sql Server Compact Edition.
You could also work with objects and serialize/deserialize these to disk as binaries.
Of course the type of storage you choose depends a lot on the kind of data you're storing (and the volume of it).
Use SQL Server CE
An easy way to do it from .NET 3.5 onwards is to store your data in XML files and use Linq to XML. This allows you to use SQL-like commands on your data which are actually compiled into your application, so you get full IDE IntelliSense support and error checking.
Perhaps you could serialise a dataset and save it as XML. I'm a little confused why if you're playing around you would need to install MySQL on all client's computers. You could look at using SQL Express which is free perhaps?
Serialise Dataset:
http://blogs.msdn.com/yosit/archive/2003/07/10/9921.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc163911.aspx
The Easiest way will be SQL Server Compact, Because it integrates directly into the Visual Studio IDE (I'm just hazarding the guess here that you use VS). Add the "Local Database", Create your tables and be sure to make your Table Adapter with Select, Update, Insert and Delete methods. If during Database Creation you called your Dataset "DS" you will be able to instantiate a Table Adapter Object from
DSTableAdapters
Namespace, and Use GetData() or Fill() methods to retrieve your Data, and Insert(), Update() and Delete() to Manage it.
VelocityDB works in a server less mode but can also be combined with a server when there is a need for it. It outperforms all the other choices mentioned here by roughly a magnitude, see comparison here. It allows you to use almost any .NET data structures persistently. The entire database engine and the optional server is implemented using C# code.