Sql standalone

[JeI-Paradigm]

:rolleyes: Is it possible for a sql server database to standalone.

IE: Can i access the sql database without having an instance of sql server from an application i create in vb.net or the like

Or do i have to use something like access or mysql?

Thanks
J!

[Shuja Ali]

No you cannot use a SQL Database without SQL Server installed. The least you can do is to use SQL Express that is free and downloadable from MSDN.

[JeI-Paradigm]

didnt think so. Thanks

so if i use sql express that would mean that my database would no longer be sql 2005 right?

i need to make an application for distribution to our clients, how do i incorporate a silent sql express install.

I think access will be a more liable approach, although having just about 0 fucntionality, it would work, i think

[Shuja Ali]

SQL Express is just a smaller version of SQL 2005. I think you can redistribute SQL Express alongwith your application. Take a look at this link before you try to resdistribute the SQL Express
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/editions/express/redistregister.mspx

[JeI-Paradigm]

have gone there and applied or something , im still thinking of using access to avoid tedious installation on clients pc. but i will first approach via sql side and if it doesnt work or the clients dont want to run a sql instance then i will take the boring access route

Thanks for help!

[cjard]

no, dont.. pleeease! we need to ditch access..

I havent looked up SQL Server, but Oracle have a free version of their 10g database.

In a nutshell, OracleXE is a basic level database good for up to 4 gig of data, and is 150Mb installer. It requires a client that is 30Mb and this client has a silent install mode.

More info:
http://download-uk.oracle.com/docs/cd/B25329_01/doc/install.102/b25143/toc.htm#BABFEDEI

The client is required even though the .NET FW comes with OracleClient namespace



SQL Express is an option; it needs installing somewhere either on the client machien or on the network (like OracleXE). It has no client because the needed files are already in MDAC and the FW.


Of the two, I prefer Oracle, but it's the devil i know..

[JeI-Paradigm]

Thanks Cjard will d/l oracle now but...

is oracle very different from sql, syntax and performance wise?

So you are saying that if i use sql express i don't need to install the client to open the database to perform inserts updates and deletes?

but when i d/l it and open the express manager i needed the client to do anything...

is it possible to somehow use a sql express db without client?

Thanks

[Shuja Ali]

SQL Express or OracleXE are same in terms of being free, being downgraded versions of their respective Enterprise Database Servers. Apart from that there are differences between SQL and Oracle which someone with knowledge of Oracle and SQL both can explain to you.

In the mean time, either of these versions do not require a Client, which means you don't have to install Express Management Studio for SQL express (I am not sure about OracleXE). But if you have an application that uses SQL Express database it will still work.
So you are saying that if i use sql express i don't need to install the client to open the database to perform inserts updates and deletes?

but when i d/l it and open the express manager i needed the client to do anything...
What client are you talking about here? The SQL Client or your application.

[JeI-Paradigm]

if i use sql express my connection string would be

server=silver\sqlexpress;datasource=databasename;uid=username;pwd=password
and so on.

now if i use sqlepxress i need to install that first server component do i not?

that is the client i am speaking of... i need the management studio to create and manage a database but when my application is complete and basicly bug free i do not want to install the sql server (client) on the customers machine

my question is i i have a database file and the log file... do i need to use the sql server (client) to access the database files mentioned above?
if so
Is there a way to access them without the client?

Thanks

[Shuja Ali]

i need to install that first server component do i not? Yes you do need to install the SQL express.

that is the client i am speaking of... i need the management studio to create and manage a database but when my application is complete and basicly bug free i do not want to install the sql server (client) on the customers machineThat is not the client, it is rather a Server. But as I mentioned yes you will have to install SQL Express on the clients system.

As far as I know, there is no way of accessing the SQL express database without having SQL Express installed.

[JeI-Paradigm]

thats microsoft for you. my customers, where the application will be used, do not want to install a database SERVER of any kind but if i could just say that it didnt and hide it away completely then who are they to know better right?

thats why i asked for a silent install of any database server.

[Shuja Ali]

thats microsoft for you. my customers, where the application will be used, do not want to install a database SERVER of any kind but if i could just say that it didnt and hide it away completely then who are they to know better right?Actually I wouldn't suggest that. If the customer comes to know that the server has been installed then it will not help the business in anyway. You might loose the customer too. So the better way is to make them understand why a server is needed and what are the benefits or go with what they say use a serverless database (Ms - Access).

[JeI-Paradigm]

true dat!

i will try convince them, but if ,god forbid, they don't care for performace and maintanence and all the incredible things that a server database has to offer are there any other serverless databases other than ms access i could use?

[Shuja Ali]

I don't think there are other Serverless databases that are as good as Ms-Access.

[JeI-Paradigm]

thanks, i thought so as well but i don't think it hurt to ask.

Thanks
J!

[Shuja Ali]

You are welcome. :)

Please edit your post and remove the unwanted content. This might hurt others on the Forum.

[JeI-Paradigm]

of course it would. they were opressed for so long and now they are killing everyone including themselves. yet they complain while so many suffer.

i dont know how to edit, cant the SA's just delete the post completely.

im not racist, i like all people of all cultures because we are all the same but when anyone of these blames me for something that is his/her fault, there will be only hate.

You only have minutes to live----How long before you have seconds!

[exterminator]

MySQL is free.. and can be used for your requirement very well.

[JeI-Paradigm]

can i use mysql 5.0 and vb.net to create a windows and web app?

[exterminator]

Of course!

[JeI-Paradigm]

K cool, what do i need to do to develop an application and then use mysql as a standalone... is it just like sql, i have d/l the mysql 5 server and client and gui tools already

busy making db now...

after i make the db what do i need do to... just create a new reference in visual studio and vwalah..

Thanks

[exterminator]

Take an ADO.Net tutorial. This will be helpful too - www.connectionstrings.com

[JeI-Paradigm]

no thats not gonna help cuz i have already done both only i got a certificate from microsoft not a tutorial in my head. i have an mcsd, worked with sql 2000 now 2005 oracle but never needed to make a standalone application with database that operate side by side...

been trying a few things, but cannot manage to connect to mysql server, i type localhost in connectionstring with root user and password, no luck,

have d/l the oledb 3.0 mysql data access library and am using it but mysql server is not being picked up, it is running bcuz i have a tray icon telling me it is

my boss now wants me to stop development of windows app and do a web one instead, which means i can use any database i see fit... ahhhh. happiness

Thanks
J!

[stefkeB]

SQLite creates a database in a file, without any client or server to install. In fact, that makes it similar to Access from the end-user point of view, but maybe it'll get you closer to where you want to arrive.

http://www.sqlite.org/

[JeI-Paradigm]

thanks stef but what would my connection string look like then...

same as access?

if i understand what you are saying it means that i can create a sqlite database somewhere on my hard drive, place that file into say the app_data folder in my project , access it through some means using relative paths along the way and manipulate it as i see fit...

Thanks
J!

[stefkeB]

Don't know about the Connection string. My only experience with SQLite databases is from the SQL examples delivered with Qt (from Trolltech). There seems to be very little setup required.

There is nothing to install and nothing to "register" to get it running. I would assume that placing it inside the app_data folder would be perfectly fine. If you use relative paths, the whole application can be installed wherever you want.

Be sure to read a bit about the features and limitations of SQLite, though. It can only write one user at a time (it's a file after all), but that might be perfectly fine in your situation, unless you need the whole company writing fulltime in that single file. Reading is for mutliple users.

[JeI-Paradigm]

It will differ from company to company, some will have a web based solution while others a single desktop while others will have a whole network of pcs adding and updating various parts of the database. so it could work for one person but the network one is gonna be a bit of a mission

Would it not be possible for various people on different machines to log on as the same user?

The web based solution will run under a sql server 2005 instance on my our web server...
busy with that now...

Thanks

[exterminator]

Would it not be possible for various people on different machines to log on as the same user?
They can.. but they you will not be able to track who made what changes etc. I think you can go for a web-solution. That can work for a single machine, on a local network with a local database/web server.. In case of single user, you will need ASP.NET engine (probably comes with the .Net framework) and IIS installed on that local machine itself. See for what fits your need.

Regarding MySQL connectivity - what problems are you having? Are you able to create and query databases on your machine (not from the application you are developing - may be it's query tool) where you installed it?

[JeI-Paradigm]

XT - i cannot connect to mysql database i created within a gui tool a got from the mysql site where i can make tables and stuff graphically, i don't know how to use the command line utility of mysql.

by connect i mean from vs.net, so i can manipulate the database by adding,updateing and deleting records and such...

also, can mysql standalone... does it need the server or can i just connect to the db file like i would with access?

Thanks!

[exterminator]

It would need the server, I guess. That is usually the main db engine. Installing the client is half a step. If there is no server to connect to and to query to how can it work. Get MySQL installed and running fine.. so that you can properly query it.

After then attempt at connecting to it from your program. It would be easy then.

[JeI-Paradigm]

now this "it would need the server i guess"... is gonna make some of my clients unhappy.

i will try coerce them into the benefits thereof but they don't seem to be happy people so it'll probably be difficult...

mysql is installed and is running fine.. i have a database already with tables and all the keys and so on, but even though i have d/l the mysql dll file i require to connect to mysql database, according to their site, i cannot use a datareader or dataAdapter or any other means to return the record...

[JeI-Paradigm]

Well this is what i have decided to do...

I have an app that requires a database of some kind and since all people and there companies are different and may/may not use a database i have created an app so they can choose between sql server,mysql,orocle and MS Access.

This was quite complicated, since but 7000 lines of code later a have managed to get a working prototype of of the application built around a sql server they will select and add info for after the installation...encryption is quite a difficult thing.

Now i just need to change all the cmd string in my app for each of the other databases. ie this is probably going to result in 4 apps for each database :) MISERY is coming

and then i need to edit the app where they select and set all the stuff for each database.

sql is simple and orocale is basiclly the same, same with mysql almost but access is stupid, need to find a way to create an access DB with code at runtime. MY God i don't think this is possible but i will try.

For my first kob as a programmer, this is becoming one hell of a mission. i think i need to hire some guy who actually knows what he/she is doing so the apps creation time will shorten. ALAS there is no-one.

[stefkeB]

FWIW,

Qt (www.trolltech.com) has SQL wrappers, so the same code can be used with different SQL servers. It is not free for commercial use, though.

I assume other frameworks exist (free or commercial).

Have you experimented with SQLite? This is meant as an embeddable database and requires no server, since the whole database is simply a file (which is binary compatible on all platforms.

[JeI-Paradigm]

Hey stefkeB

well thats great but the server is set a runtime so it wont be a different SQL SERVER but a different server altogether. SQL vs oracle vs mysql vs access. so i dont think sql wrappers are goind to help.

any limitations of sqlite in comparison to sql server. i mean major limitations like your db size cannot be larger than 100mb or something like that.

syntax wize. is it the same as Tsql server code, if so then i think this is they way to go

[JeI-Paradigm]

well it says that foreign key constraints are parsed but not enforced, does this mean if a have two tables t1 and t2 with primary keys t1pk and t2pk. i am able to link them with t1pk as foreign key in t2 but since it is not enforced there can be data in t2 witk t1pk = one that does not exist in t1.

if this is the case then it is something i cannot use.