How to deploy SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0?

Question

How do i deploy Microsoft SQL Server Compact 4.0?

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SQL Server Compact Edition (currently at version 4.0) is:

a free, embedded database th

Answer 1

i've created the solution.

SQL Server Compact Edition is comprised of 7 dlls:

• sqlceme40.dll The undocumented, native, flat API library (The .net System.Data.SqlServerCe.dll assembly is a wrapper around this dll)
• sqlceca40.dll A COM dll that implements Engine, Replication, Error and a few other COM objects
• sqlceoledb40.dll A COM dll that implements an OLEdb provider for SSCE (allowing the use of ADO)
• sqlcese40.dll unknown
• sqlceqp40.dll unknown
• sqlcecompact40.dll unknown
• sqlceer40en.dll unknown

The problem with trying to simply ship these dlls is that two of them are COM objects. COM object dll's need to be registered, e.g.:

>regsvr32 sqlceca40.dll
>regsvr32 sqlceoledb40.dll

The problem is that registering a COM object requires administrative privileges (using a global solution to solve a local problem). This means that your users would

• have to install your application (which you don't want to do)
• requires your users to have administrative permissions (which you don't want to do)

Fortunately, starting in 2001 with Windows XP, Microsoft solved this COMmon problem: Registration-Free COM.

First, you will declare that your application has a "dependancy" on SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0. You do this by authoring an assembly manifest:

 
     

    Hyperion Pro 

    
    
        
            
        
    

    
    
        
            true
        
    

    
    
        
            
            
            
            
        
    

    
    
        
            
                
            
        
    

You can place this file beside your executable (as Hyperion.exe.manifest), or you can build it into your application as an RT_MANIFEST resource.

Notice that we have a dependancy against as assembly called Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0. We create this assembly first by creating a directory called:

Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0

When you deploy your application, you will place all 7 dll's that comprise this "assembly" into this Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0 subfolder, along with a special .manifest file:

C:\
|---Users
   |---Ian
       |---AppData
           |---Local
               |---Hyperion Pro
                   |    Hyperion.exe
                   |    Hyperion.exe.manifest
                   |----Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0
                            sqlceme40.dll
                            sqlceca40.dll
                            sqlceoledb40.dll
                            sqlcese40.dll
                            sqlceqp40.dll
                            sqlcecompact40.dll
                            sqlceer40en.dll
                            Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0.manifest

In other words, the application folder contains your application, and the Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0 folder:

 Directory of C:\Users\Ian\AppData\Local\Hyperion Pro

05/29/2012  09:23 AM         1,899,008 Hyperion.exe
05/28/2012  01:46 PM             1,587 Hyperion.exe.manifest
05/29/2012  09:27 AM              Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0
           2 File(s)      1,900,675 bytes
           1 Dir(s)  20,851,503,104 bytes free

The next part of your task is to define the Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0.manifest file. Registration-free COM allows a manifest file to declare all the COM objects and their clsid's. This took a lot of reverse engineering. But the assembly manifest for SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0 is:

Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0.manifest:

The a final gotcha is that, in the same way we have a dependancy on an assembly called Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0, SQL Server Compact Edition 4.0 in turn has a dependancy on an assembly called Microsoft.VC90.CRT. Fortunately your install of SQLCE ships with a copy of this assembly:

|----Microsoft.VC90.CRT
    |    Microsoft.VC90.CRT.manifest 
    |    msvcr90.dll

This means the final directory structure is:

C:\
|---Users
   |---Ian
      |---AppData
         |---Local
            |---Hyperion Pro
               |    Hyperion.exe
               |    Hyperion.exe.manifest
               |----Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0
                   |   Microsoft.SQLSERVER.CE.4.0.manifest
                   |   sqlceme40.dll
                   |   sqlceca40.dll
                   |   sqlceoledb40.dll
                   |   sqlcese40.dll
                   |   sqlceqp40.dll
                   |   sqlcecompact40.dll
                   |   sqlceer40en.dll
                   |---Microsoft.VC90.CRT
                      |   Microsoft.VC90.CRT.manifest
                      |   msvcr90.dll