Creating a local SQL Server Compact Edition DB

Hi All ...

I'm setting up replication for the 1st time following the steps in the Books Online to get it up and running:

ms-help://MS.SSCE.v31.EN/ssmmain3/html/5a82aa7a-41a3-4246-a01a-2b1e4b2fdfe9.htm.

Anyhow, I get down to the section labeled - Create a new SQL Server Compact Edition database and am having a problem. I open SQL Server Management Studio as instructed. I click Connect and then am supposed to select SQL Server Compact Edition - yet can't find that option.

And, yes, I've installed Compact Edition on my development laptop. So, how do I get this option so that I can create the local DB for Compact Edition and continue development?

UPDATE:

Ok, duh moment, I have SQL Server Management Studio Express loaded on my laptop, so did not have the option. I've attempted to uninstall SQL Server Management Studio Express and install the full version from the SQL Server CDs. However, when I go to install the full version it tells me that the management tools are already installed and won't let me install anything. So, how do I get around this so that I can install full version of SQL Server Management Studio and then get the option to connect to the SQL Server Compact Edition?

Any help will be appreciated.

UPDATE 2:

Ok, figured it out. You can't just uninstall SQL Server Management Studio express, you must go in to Add/Remove Programs, SQL Server 2005, Change. Then select to uninstall the Workstation components. Then you can go use the SQL Server install discs to install the full blown SQL Server Management Studio along with the other Workstation components.

Thanks ...

David L. Collison

Any day above ground is a good day!

As a script-kiddie wannabe, I will suggest that you can use the following vbscript as well:

<job id="SqlServerCompactEditionDatabaseCreator">
<script language="VBScript">

Option Explicit

Dim strConnectionString
Dim oCatalog

strConnectionString = "Provider=Microsoft.SQLSERVER.MOBILE.OLEDB.3.0;Data Source=" & WScript.Arguments(0) & ";"

Set oCatalog = WScript.CreateObject("ADOX.Catalog")
oCatalog.Create strConnectionString

</script>
</job>

Save the script to something like SqlServerCompactEditionDatabaseCreator.wsf, and you can create a SQL Server Compact Edition database with something like cscript SqlServerCompactEditionDatabaseCreator.wsf foo.sdf from the command prompt.

Then again, that is probably just my 2 cents

-Raymond