Windows Mobile Developer Network Forum

<img src="http://www.primeworks-mobile.com/Images/VistaDB3.gif" width="120" height="120" align="left" alt="VistaDB releases the new VistaDB 3.0 SQL database engine">VistaDB has just released VistaDB 3.0, a fully managed and typesafe SQL database engine designed for Microsoft .NET Framework, Compact Framework, Windows Vista and Mono. VistaDB enables .NET developers to build small yet robust WinForms and ASP.NET database applications that run on desktops, mobile devices and web servers.

Vista Software's recently released VistaDB 3.0 ushers in the next generation of mobile development by enabling .NET developers to build fully managed and embedded SQL database applications for Windows Mobile 5.0 and Microsoft Compact Framework. The recent success of the Motorola Q Smartphone and the Palm Treo 700w Pocket PC have triggered demand for components and tools, such as VistaDB 3.0, that enable .NET developers to build mobile applications for these devices.

While developers have always been able to build mobile applications that connect to remote database servers, VistaDB 3.0 enables developers to build a new generation of embedded database applications that manage data locally on the mobile device without having to connect to a database server. Key features that the company hopes will help developers adopt VistaDB 3.0 include support for building WinForms and ASP.NET applications that run on desktops, mobile devices and web servers, SQL Server Transact-SQL syntax compatibility, small 600KB embedded footprint, full Unicode support, and royalty-free distribution.

I wonder how fast is it compared to SQL Mobile and SQLite.

I find it very odd that there is no mention of sql mobile or sql everywhere on VistaDB's site. What does this product do that those products don't? Mobile and Everywhere are free, type safe, managed, and fully integrated into VS2005.

If it gave me stored procedures, that would a huge reason to switch...

We are moving as fast as we can in both getting to official release and in getting our web site updated with more detailed literature.

Let me comment on a few things here:

* SQL Mobile and SQL Everywhere are not managed database engines. You can use Reflector to inspect the DLL files for yourself in this directory:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server Everywhere\v3.1

Reflector for .NET:
http://www.aisto.com/roeder/dotnet/

There are 8 DLLs -- the only managed DLL is the System.Data.SqlServerCe.dll, since it is the ADO.NET Provider.
The other files are C++ DLLs. Microsoft is telling the world that the future is managed and type safe code, and we believe them, but SQL Everywhere and SQL Mobile are not.

* VistaDB on the other consists of a single fully managed and typesafe assembly. We developed VistaDB 3.0 in C# and conform strictly to both .NET and Compact Framework standards. This allows you to build WinForms for desktops and mobile devices, and ASP.NET applications that can be upload to ASP.NET hosted web servers with zero configuration.

* VistaDB is only 600kb while SQL Everywhere is 1.4MB. Size is always an issue on mobile devices.

* Although it works on .NET, the SQL Everywhere ADO.NET Provider is based on the Compact Framework ADO.NET architecture.

* Since VistaDB 3.0 is fully managed, you can use Microsoft's ILMerge utility found here:
http://research.microsoft.com/~mbarnett/ILMerge.aspx
to completely merge the VistaDB.DLL assembly with your EXE or DLL and create a new, single assembly EXE or DLL that has VistaDB 3.0 physically embedded.

* SQL Everywhere does not support Views, Triggers or Stored Procs.
We are adding all 3 to VistaDB 3.0 as I write this.

* VistaDB Server 3.0 is expected in early 2007, this will be the world's first fully managed SQL database server.

* VistaDB 3.0 is much easier to deploy since it supports .NET environments natively. VistaDB 3.0 comes in 2 assemblies:
VistaDB.DLL for .NET, 64-bit .NET, Mono
VistaDB.CF.DLL for Compact Framework

We firmly believe that .NET is the future and that VistaDB 3.0 represents the next generation of mobile and desktop database development for .NET developers.

Anthony Carrabino
www.vistadb.net