SQL Server Express C# application install combination

Question

What is the best way to deploy SQL Server Express Edition with an application for release? We also need to bring the data along as well.

I read that you use the SQL Server Express MSI installer, but how do we go about importing all the tables, views, sproc, data, etc?

This will be deployed to multiple customer sites and we need to start testing an install.

Any ideas will be greatly welcomed.

Thanks.

Answer 1

You can ship an MDF with your application and attach it at application runtime using the information at the following MSDN page.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165716.aspx

This is similar to the way visual studio/ASP.Net attaches MDF files in App_Data.