the secret life of Database and I

[tryongliph]

ok, so here's the deal. i'm a bit confused about .sdf and .mdf files, i know i should post this in databases, but the topic is also relevant here so i'll just get right to it.

1. I'm working on an inventory project which will be a standalone, so i decided to add a dbase to it (.sdf, naive me) and i want to connect to it and write to the dbase via code behind but i don't know how. a friend looked at it and ridiculed me for using the .sdf. he said i should have used .mdf and he gave me this code to work with:

#region PRIVATE OBJECTS
        //sql command objets
        private SqlCommand myCommand;

        //sql connection obj
        private SqlConnection myConnection;

        //sql adapter obj
        private SqlDataAdapter myAdapter;
        #endregion

        public Add_Client_Employee()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

 private void SaveBtn_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (ClientRBtn.Checked)
            {
                if (!Name_Tb.Equals("") && !Location_Tb.Equals("") && !Contact_Tb.Equals(""))
                {
                    //insert client info into dbase
                    //notice -- create a class for connection open and close

                    myConnection = new SqlConnection(@"Data Source=C:\Users\Soft-tribe\My Docs\Bakery_Inventory\Bakery_Inventory\Bake.sdf");
                    myConnection.Open();
                    
                    myCommand = new SqlCommand();
                    myCommand.Connection = myConnection;

                    myCommand.CommandText = "insert into table_client values('" +
                                            Name_Tb.Text + "','" + Location_Tb.Text + "','" +
                                            Contact_Tb.Text + "')";

                    //myConnection.Open();
                    if (myCommand.ExecuteNonQuery() > 0)
                    {
                        MessageBox.Show("insert successful");
                    }
                    myConnection.Close();

                }
            }

which i changed to

#region PRIVATE OBJECTS
        //sql command objets
        private IDbCommand myCommand;

        //sql connection obj
        private IDbConnection myConnection;

        //sql adapter obj
        private IDbDataAdapter myAdapter;
        #endregion

the program runs to the point where it has to open the dbase and it gives me a 'database not found' error.

2. i tried to add an .mdf file to it so i could redo the dbase again, but it gave me a 'generating user instance is disabled'.

3. Another friend said why don't i just build the dbase in sql and connect to it. which means the client must have an sql server to connect the program to. but that is not what i had in mind

so please people advice me on what to do and how to solve this issue, cos this life is killing me.

[kvprajapati]

.sdf file are called embedded database Compact edition. Compact Edition is a compact database for embedding in mobile and device applications.

Use .mdf for your desktop applications.