Attach a database into .exe windows application

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Hi
I am developing a windows application project using c#, sql server2012. Now I want to run this application in other computer. How it possible??.. Now I am taking backup of database from my system and restore it into the system which I want to install my exe. But It is not possible in all the times. Because restoring this database into all the systems and also changing the connection string in program as the current system servername are not possible in all the times. can anyone say any solution to this problem??How can i make exe with database?? I am creating setupfiles using install shield.
Thanks

Posted 18-May-15 23:50pm

Member 10994712

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Mantu Singh 19-May-15 6:16am

You want each computer to have separate data or same data as in a network ?

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OriginalGriff · Answer 1 · 2015-05-19T00:27:00

Solution 1

That is a really, really poor idea.

SQL server is a multiuser system, which requires an installation of SQL Server to be available to all computers that want to use the database - and that is not a "normal user" application to have available. In addition, using SQL Server for single user databases is a spectacularly bad idea - as each user will presumably want their own copy of the data rather than to share it. So if you get two users in the same office installing your software...one of them is going to get very upset...

If you want a single user database, then use a single user database: SQLite, SQLCE, or even Access.
If you want a multiuser database, then the last thing you want to do it blindly try to install your database with each application. And you don;t even know there is an SQL installation on the LAN segment...

Posted 19-May-15 0:27am

OriginalGriff

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Mantu Singh 19-May-15 6:33am

Great sir I can remember
where should you store your data!!

Member 10994712 20-May-15 1:56am

I am new in this area. That's why I asked to you. Then how can I change connection string in program??

OriginalGriff 20-May-15 2:07am

:laugh:
That depends on how you are storing it!
Please, don't tell me it's hard coded into your app?

Member 10994712 20-May-15 2:54am

data storing is done through query.

OriginalGriff 20-May-15 3:08am

You are storing your connection string in a database? I don't think so...

Member 10994712 20-May-15 3:18am

No.connection string is giving in code itself.
public string ConString =
"Data Source=ADLHO0111\\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=test;Integrated Security=True";

OriginalGriff 20-May-15 3:23am

That's what is called a "hard coded" connection string. And they aren't a good idea...
OK - start with what platform are you working with? What environment? It makes a difference to where and how you store such strings.

Member 10994712 20-May-15 3:27am

am working with c# windows application in visual studio2012.

OriginalGriff 20-May-15 5:04am

OK - so start by creating somewhere to store the connection string: open your project in the Solution Explorer pane, and double click "Settings.settings" in the "Properties" branch.
Add a new setting: Name = "ConnectionString", Type = "string", "Scope" = "User", and give it a default value of your current string.
Save.
Now replace all instances of the hard-coded string in your app with:
Properties.Settings.Default.ConnectionString
and test your app in development.

Now you can change the string without rebuilding your app!
It's in the .config file in your application exe folder.
You can change it in your app, and call
Properties.Settings.Default.Save();
or change it in your setup application manually.

Member 10994712 20-May-15 6:49am

I wrote like this in app.config
connectionstring="data source=.\\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated Security=SSPI;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|D:\\a\p\part.mdf;User Instance=True"
is it correct??

OriginalGriff 20-May-15 6:58am

Doubtfull: the DB filename looks well dodgy!

Member 10994712 20-May-15 7:07am

Is this way is correct??but when I write this code, I got the error "The given path's format is not supported".

OriginalGriff 20-May-15 7:16am

That's because the DB filename is wrong...
You have a data directory immediately followed by a disk specification!

And if you are using SQL, you shouldn't need to attach the DB - it should be installed to SQL and let it manage it. Otherwise you end up with multiple copies of the same DB - one for each user - assuming that the SQL server can access each individual HDD, which is extremely unlikely!

Member 10994712 20-May-15 23:34pm

I corrected that error.. double slash before sql express was the problem..But after that I got the following error
Unable to open the physical file "D:\\a\p\part.mdf". Operating system error 5: "5(Access is denied.)".I think it is a permission problem. How can I correct this error?

OriginalGriff 21-May-15 5:15am

Probably, you can't: SQL Server is trying to attach a file from the disk D attached to the physical computer the server instance is running on, not the D drive of your computer.
That's why I said:
"And if you are using SQL, you shouldn't need to attach the DB - it should be installed to SQL and let it manage it. Otherwise you end up with multiple copies of the same DB - one for each user - assuming that the SQL server can access each individual HDD, which is extremely unlikely!"