If I right click on the project and select add new iteem.
In this Add New Item dialog there are several templates.
Two of these are called "Local database" which create a sdf file database
and if I select "Service-based Database"
I create a mdf file.

So the difference must be more then just the name sdf or mdf ?

//Tony

On 25-03-2011 14:37, Tony Johansson wrote:
> If I right click on the project and select add new iteem.
> In this Add New Item dialog there are several templates.
> Two of these are called "Local database" which create a sdf file database
> and if I select "Service-based Database"
> I create a mdf file.
>
> So the difference must be more then just the name sdf or mdf ?

MDF = SQLServer

SDF = SQLServerCE

And contrary to the almost identical names, then it is
two completely different products.

A database server and an embedded database.

Arne

"Arne Vajhøj" <(E-Mail Removed)> skrev i meddelandet
news:4d8d2d31$0$23753$(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 25-03-2011 14:37, Tony Johansson wrote:
>> If I right click on the project and select add new iteem.
>> In this Add New Item dialog there are several templates.
>> Two of these are called "Local database" which create a sdf file database
>> and if I select "Service-based Database"
>> I create a mdf file.
>>
>> So the difference must be more then just the name sdf or mdf ?
>
> MDF = SQLServer
>
> SDF = SQLServerCE
>
> And contrary to the almost identical names, then it is
> two completely different products.
>
> A database server and an embedded database.
>
> Arne

I assume that the amount of feature and functionallity is limited when I use
the sdf database compared to the mdf database file.

//Tony

On 26-03-2011 14:35, Tony Johansson wrote:
> "Arne Vajhøj"<(E-Mail Removed)> skrev i meddelandet
> news:4d8d2d31$0$23753$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> On 25-03-2011 14:37, Tony Johansson wrote:
>>> If I right click on the project and select add new iteem.
>>> In this Add New Item dialog there are several templates.
>>> Two of these are called "Local database" which create a sdf file database
>>> and if I select "Service-based Database"
>>> I create a mdf file.
>>>
>>> So the difference must be more then just the name sdf or mdf ?
>>
>> MDF = SQLServer
>>
>> SDF = SQLServerCE
>>
>> And contrary to the almost identical names, then it is
>> two completely different products.
>>
>> A database server and an embedded database.
>>
>> Arne
>
> I assume that the amount of feature and functionallity is limited when I use
> the sdf database compared to the mdf database file.

Actually I think that the SQL dialect on SQLServerCE is fine.

The difference is that SQLServer is a database server intended to serve
1-10000 users (client apps, web requests or whatever) while SQLServerCE
is an embedded database that is superb for serving 1 users but can serve
a small number of users fine.

I would use SQLServer for web app and for a server app, but SQLServerCE
for a desktop app (storing data locally).

Arne