SQL Server Compact 4.0 for Visual Studio 2010

2012-02-05


The last time we posted "Install Microsoft SQL Server Compact 4.0", Some friends feed backed they could not see anything about SQL Server Compact 4.0 in their Visual Studio 2010.

Firstly, you have to upgrade your Visual Studio 2010 to sp1.

However, after you upgrade and installed SQL Server Compact 4.0, you might still not see in your Visual Studio 2010 SP1.

See below, "Local Database" is a SQL Server Compact item, but it is not 4.0, it is 3.5. We should have a Local Database 4.0 template.

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The reason is just you have not installed Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 SP1 Tools for SQL Server Compact 4.0 .

Go to your Windows Control Panel, check installed components and files, you can see you really missed the Visual Studio 2010 SP1 Tools for SQL Server Compact 4.0, but only installed for 3.5:

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Remember the cool install tool which we introduced last time ? Microsoft Web Platform Installer. This time we can take advantage of it too.

Open Web Platform Installer and input Visual Studio SP1 in the search bar on the top right corner:

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After you click enter key you will get the following searching result, and you will see the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 SP1 Tools for SQL Server Compact 4.0 is in the list.

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please click the "Add" button on the right to install the missed tools.

The installer will install at least 6 components for you, so please wait some time:

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After installation finished, you will see the installed list:

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Now when you open your Visual Studio 2010 SP1, you can see the SQL Server Compact 4.0 template:

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Done.