How to: Build and Deploy an Application to a Desktop
Building and deploying an application that is based on Microsoft SQL Server Compact to a desktop resembles deploying any other Microsoft Windows application. To do this, you develop a Windows application that references the appropriate SQL Server Compact .dll files.
To build and deploy a SQL Server Compact 4.0 Windows application
Install SQL Server Compact 4.0 by running the installer (SSCERuntime_x86-ENU.exe and SSCERuntime_x64-ENU.exe).
In your Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 SP1 project, add a reference to System.Data.SqlServerCe.dll file that is in the folder: %Program Files%\Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition\v4.0\Desktop
Build and deploy the application to the target desktop. On the target desktop, install the SQL Server Compact 4.0 by running the installer (SSCERuntime_x86-ENU.exe and SSCERuntime_x64-ENU.exe). An alternative method of deployment is ClickOnce.
- ClickOnce is a new software installation technology in Visual Studio 2008 that is supported by SQL Server Compact 4.0 for deploying managed applications on desktop computers. ClickOnce simplifies deploying a Windows-based application to a Web server or network file share. For administrators, deploying or updating an application consists of updating files on a server. Each client does not have to be updated separately. Visual Studio provides full support for publishing and updating applications that are deployed with ClickOnce. ClickOnce deployment is available for projects that are created by using Visual Basic and Visual C# but not for Visual C++. For more information about ClickOnce, see the ClickOnce page on MSDN.