SQL Server Compact Toolbox

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If you are using SQL Server Compact Edition (CE), and have not seen this already, the SQL Server Compact Toolbox is a Visual Studio 2010 Pro or higher add-in (for SQL Server CE 3.5/4.0) and standalone app (for 4.0), that adds scripting, import, export, migrate, rename, run script, manage replication and more to your SQL Server Compact Data Connections in VS Server Explorer.

Written by Erik Ejlskov Jensen who’s aptly named blog, Everything SQL Server Compact, contains a wealth of tips, tricks and techniques relating to SQL Server Compact.

The toolbox adds several features to Server Explorer:

Scripting:

  • Script tables, including data, both DDL and DML
  • Script entire schema, optionally with data, from SQL Server Compact and SQL Server 2005/2008 databases
  • Import to SQL Server Compact from a SQL Server 2005/2008 database or a CSV file
  • Migrate from SQL Server Compact to SQL Server and SQL Azure
  • Migrate from SQL Server to SQL Server Compact
  • Create database diff scripts, compare with a SQL Server Compact or even a SQL Server database

Query editing:

  • Basic, free form query execution
  • Editor with syntax colouring
  • Parse SQL scripts
  • Display graphical estimated and actual execution plan
  • Check query duration

Other features:

  • Rename tables
  • Generate detailed DGML files for visualizing table columns and relationships (requires VS 2010 Premium or higher to view)
  • Generate an Entity Data Model (EDMX) in the current project for both 3.5 and 4.0 in any applicable project (WPF, WinForms, Class Library)
  • Remove invalid connection definitions from the Toolbox (and Server Explorer)
  • Create and manage SQL Server Merge Replication subscriptions
  • Data types node with documentation tooltips lists the 18 available data types
  • File version check (for version 2-4)
  • Upgrade version 3.x files to version 4 via the “Add version 4 connection” dialog
  • About dialog with detailed SQL Server Compact version information

Another of his posts, SQL Compact 3rd party tools, lists several 3rd party tools for CE, both commercial and non-commercial.