All,
I’m starting a new project which will be using the new MSFT C# Express beta for the programming, but am stumped as to what to use for the persistent storage and would appreciate hearing any experience you might have had in the space.
This application will be single user/local install, not working against a database server. In the old days I probably would have used DBF files or possibly Access but now I’m not sure. The C#E beta comes with the SQL Server Express beta, of course, but I’m not sure how that will get packaged up and installed by end users.
The other option I’ve been thinking about, since the amount of data is fairly small with the largest table possibly having 5,000 rows and even that would be a stretch, is to put everything in XML files since these can be accessed with the same code as a database.
In either case I would also appreciate suggestions on tools to use to create the database or XML Schema. Since this project is not intended to produce commercial software and I’m once again ‘working for myself’, cheap or free is preferable. Apparently, the only graphical tool available from Microsoft for doing this at the moment is only supplied with the Visual Basic Express beta–call me silly but why (other than inflexible deadlines and poor planning) would this be so?
Thanks much,
Bill
BillSaysThis 