I recently developed a winform application with c# and SQL Server 2008 data access. I want to create an "InstallShield express" setup file for it (I don't want to use ClickOnce or Setup And Deployment witch is available in VS). I want to create a db or attach it to SQL server instance after installing SQL Server Express 2008 SP3 (not local db). What is the best way to do this?
Your question is quite vague as you do not explain what kind of “app”, “setup file” or “db” you are using, nor how you “attach it to sql”. In the future, please include these details. However, I can give a general answer.
Create a seed database, that contains the starting data for your application, in your source project.
Add the seed database file to your project/solution file and set its Build Action to “Content”.
Ensure your installer includes project content in the deployment folder (the application folder for WinForms apps).
To open the seed database from your app, use a connection string like Data Source=|DataDirectory|seed.sdf. Do not try to search for your seed file or to set DataDirectory yourself; the installer will set DataDirectory to the directory your content was installed to.
Do not try to write to DataDirectory; it may not be writable by the user who installed it. Repairing the app will overwrite DataDirectory, destroying anything you saved there, as well.
If you need to save data in the database, copy |DataDirectory|seed.sdf to Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData), then read and write all data to the copy.
For more information, read my answer to a poster who wrote to |DataDirectory| and therefore kept destroying his user's data.
Related
I am attempting to use a Packaged Solution for my Access 2010 application that has its backend linked to SQL Server. At the moment, I'm using the .accdb file as the frontend, and I would like to distribute my application to some other Windows computers, but the Packaged Solution does not work. I had the package include Access Runtime, so their version of the frontend is running on Runtime and not full Access. However, once the application makes a request to the backend, the application does nothing, as I am not even prompted for the SQL Password as per usual with the full version. I've read on about including a .dsn file in the package can secure the SQL connection (see here), but going through steps of other tutorials to create .dsn files hasn't led to any results. Would anyone know how to correctly generate the .dsn file or if I've done something else wrong at this point?
(And yes, I understanding using Access 2010 in the year 2019 is almost a joke at this point, but I'm doing this for testing purposes. I plan to completely remake the frontend in Angular in the future.)
One other unrelated note... would it be a better idea to have the frontend hosted as a .html file like through the "Publish to Access Services" process? I did read that Access Services was discontinued last year, so would that not be possible?
Edit: This is not a duplicate of "DSN Less Connection (MS Access to SQL2016)" because A) I want to utilize a DSN Connection, not DSN-less and B) I am not using connection strings in my code to hook up with SQL.
You should be able to just create FILE dsn, link your tables, and then distribute the compiled accDE to each desktop.
However, what SQL odbc source provider did you use? If you use the SQL server ODBC provider, then that is by default installed on each computer.
However, if you linked using Native 11 (or later), then that driver is NOT installed on each workstation by default. So, I HIGH recommend you create a FILE dsn (not a user or system DSN), and link the table using that. (Access will create DSN-less links for you)
And you should NOT be seeing a logon prompt with your application. This suggests you forgot or missed the save password option.
So, I would re-link your tables, creating a new FILE DSN. And if you using the linked table manager, then make sure you check the prompt for new location to force creating of a NEW DSN. If you just re-fresh, then you DO NOT get a chance to click on the save password option during the linking process.
So, what odbc driver are you using? The native 11 or later are better, but they are not installed by default on each workstation. However, CAUTION is required here, since the older sql driver does NOT support the newer datetime2 formats. If you used these newer sql column types, they will be returned as string data types in Access and create a mess of issues.
So, first, I would re-link using a FILE dsn.
Make sure you check the save password during the re-link.
You then compile your accDB into an accDE, and then distribute that. You don’t really need to use the package wizard, since once each workstation has the runtime installed, then a simple copy of the accDE to each person’s computer will thus work fine. There is NO special connection between your accDE and the package wizard. Once the runtime is installed, then any and all mdb, accDB, and your accDE can simply be clicked on to launch + run. So for testing, you can skip the package wizard, and just copy the accDE to the target machine, click on it, and see if it works.
Edit
The prompt and check box during this process is this:
So you have to check that box to save the password. Note that you ONLY get this dialog WHEN you create a new FILE dsn.
I've already an offline updater as a download but I want to make it automatically. It's a client/server software and a ms sql database.
3 parts have to be updated:
update of a proprietary software (setup.exe with next, next, type login/password for server service, finish) which delivers a WinClient and a Service for the server. Autoupdate is only needed for server, the autoupdate for clients by the server works already.
one .hug file which contains new customized program version. The path is a directory in the above software and can be determined with registry.
MS SQL database update with new content (in a .bak file) and structural changes. The database server is sometimes another server as application server. At the moment you have to type in the SQL instance when running the udpater.
My ideas are these:
a updater program in the tray on application server and database server
updater searches with a timer for newer versions on my ftp server and downloads the files if existing
on application server it runs the setup.exe and copies the .hug file. Maybe I could make it silent with command prompt commands. But still need to fill in login/password for the service user.
on database server I configure the autoupdater once with instance name. Updater downloads .bak-file and runs sql script with insert, update and alter statements.
but one big problem which can cause problems is when users are still logged in. Don't know in the moment how I could solve that.
So, how would you realise such a project? Or have you already done something similiar? Is its generally possible?
I have written a VB.Net application that uses an SQL Express DB file containing a single table and a handful of stored procedures.
I have successfully built and exported the application to my VPS.
The problem comes when knowing what to do concerning the database file, there is a wealth of stuff online but not specifically to suit my needs.
I plan to use LocalDB on the VPS but being commandline - it is hard to know if the scripts that I have run have been successful after creating an instance , starting it... etc,
I want to keep installation requirements to an absolute minimum on my VPS machine and (in time other end users machines)... hence using LocalDB and not SQL Express
So, what do I have to do on the VPS to enable my application to connect to the database.. ? This was simple when it was Access - (supply the MDB file and run the AccessDatabaseEngine(redistributable) - job done)
The connection on my devt. machine runs as expected.
The connection string in my code is:
Const strSQLConnection As String = "Data Source= (localdb)\v11.0;Database=SoccerTrader;Trusted_Connection=True"
Can anyone help please.. this is driving me around the bend.. surely it cant be that difficult..?
===========================
I have found the following in an MSDN blog which says:
Database as a File: LocalDB connection strings support AttachDbFileName property that allows attaching a database file during the connection process. This lets developers work directly with databases instead of the database server. Assuming a database file (*.MDF file with the corresponding *.LDF file) is stored at “C:\MyData\Database1.mdf” the developer can start working with it by simply using the following connection string: “Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Integrated Security=true;AttachDbFileName=C:\MyData\Database1.mdf”.
================ ADDED 12th June =====================
OK, this is really bugging me now... I have read around this till it is coming out of my ears and nothing specifically seems to target what I am trying to do. All the blogs I read refer to installing / running SQL Server and changing permissions etc.
As I have mentioned I am using a VPS and propose to use LocalDB on the VPS to access a simple/small database file for a VB.Net application I am writing.
This is the story so far.
1) I have built a working prototype on my development PC and connected using SQL Express to a database file SoccerTrader.mdf - no problem.
In the Visual Studio Project properties I have added a requirement to the project that checks for SQL Server ..and if it is missing, installs it...
2) I install the project on the VPS and as expected SQL Server 2012 LocalDB is installed .... see here..
3) I have copied the SoccerTrader.MDF and SoccerTrader.LDF files into "C:\BESTBETSoftware\SoccerBot" on the VPS
4) for practical reasons given the problems I am having getting this to work, I have implemented an inputbox for me to specify the connection string when the application runs.... the connection strings I have used give the following...
1]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/i2tro.png
I have not changed any file permissions on the development PC and the database state is NOT read only....
So, the question is where do I go from here...? What have I missed.. why is it not working..?
I have managed to sort the problem.
Seemingly, the connection string I was using was OK. It was my error handling that wasnt 'clean' enough. It transpired the connection was being made on my VPS but when the application attempted to update the table , the directory I had created and put the MDF file into, would not permit write access.
I moved the MDF into the C:\Users\Public\Documents folder and all works as it should.
You have to specify the full path of the Db file with folder name/ip-address
In a windows desktop application (with vb.net and wpf), i store some data in xml file, located in appdata folder. If the xml file does not exists, application creates it with a specific format. My data is becoming more complex, and i want to use a mysql database. So what i want:
1) Have a local mysql database in a user folder (Appdata). It should be created run time if it does not exists. It should be created programatically run-time.
2) I want to know compatibility with .net and windows versions. (sdf, mdb files?)
Any help? I will provide some code based on answers. Thanks.
If your application is based on Windows operating system then you can go with Microsoft Office Access Database. You just need to install MDAC and some library to use access database file using visual studio. Access Database can be supported over the Local Area Network also. You can connect access database file using OleDB.Connection object in .net. You can find the basic example of access database connectivity using vb.net here.
I have a simple WPF application that uses ClickOnce to handle installing. Within this application is a compact database. Through testing I have found that when I publish a new build this database will get overwritten, which is not what I want. Is there anyway I can have fine grained control over what files are updated? I assume ClickOnce is simply checking the hash of the database file, deciding that it has changed and pulling the update.
As a workaround I have since removed the database from the files that are included with the published application so the original remains on the client machine after an update, untouched.
Not a great solution I know
Thanks,
ClickOnce deployments segregate the Application Files into "Include" or "Data file". You can specify what each file is in visual Studio by going to the project Properties page, Publish tab, then clicking the "Application Files..." button. You can then set your .sdf file to "Data File" under the Publish Status column.
Data Files that are downloaded with a ClickOnce application are then placed in a separate directory for each new version.
The idea is that on the first run of the new application version, you go retrieve all the user's private data from their old-version data files and incorporate that data into the new data files which have just been downloaded with your new version.
I think you'll find the information you need at Accessing Local and Remote Data in ClickOnce Applications. Specifically, look at the sections "ClickOnce Data Directory" and "Data Directory and Application Versions."
To access a SQL Server CE database located in your Data directory, use a connection string similar to the following:
<add
name="MyApplication.Properties.Settings.LocalCacheConnectionString"
connectionString="Data Source=|DataDirectory|\LocalCache.sdf"
providerName="Microsoft.SqlServerCe.Client.3.5" />
The "|DataDirectory|" is a special syntax supported by SQL CE and SQL Express and resolves at runtime to the proper directory.
If you so much as open that SQLCE database included in your project, it will change the time stamp on the database, and ClickOnce will deploy it and put the old version under the \pre subfolder.
You might want to consider this method for handling this. Then if you accidentally deploy a new version of the database and don't realize it, you're not hosed. If you intentionally make changes, you can change the database structure of your current database with SQL queries, and pull data from the new copy deployed to the Data Directory (that you're otherwise ignoring) when you need to.
RobinDotNet