What are the limitations to SQL Server Compact? (Or - how does one choose a database to use on MS platforms?)

Question

The application I want to build using MS Visual C# Express (I\'m willing to upgrade to Standard if that becomes required) that needs a database.

I was all psyched ab

Answer 1

Had to chime in on two factors:

1. I use Sql Compact a lot and its great for what it works for -- a single user, embedded, database, with a single file data store. It has all the SQL goodness and transactions. It hadles parallellism well enough for me. Notice that few of the naysayers on this page use the product regularly. Don't use it on a server, that's not what its for. Many of my customers don't even know the file is a "database", that is just an implementation issue.
2. You want to encrypt the data from your users -- presumably so they can only view it from your program. This simply isn't going to happen. If your program can decrypt the data, then you have to store the key somewhere, and a sufficently dedicated attacker will find it, period.

You may be able to hide the key well enough that the effort to recover it isn't worth the value of the information. Windows has some neat machine and user local encryption routines to help. But if your design has a strong requirement that a user never find data you have hidden on their computer (but your program will) you need to redesign -- that guarentee simply cannot be accomplished.