Using SQL Libraries on a client machine which doesn't have SQL installed

Question

Hello I'm currently working on a project using Visual 2010, I'm utilizing the SQL Libraries:

using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;

A major concern which leaps to mind, is.. Would my clients using the application need to have the SQL package installed in order for the application to communicate with the SQL Engine?

If so, is there a work around so that the user would not require downloading further required executionables/installers?

Those namespaces will be in the GAC. You don't have to worry about them being missing. If, for instance, you were using Entity Framework you'd need to make sure the binaries are part of your deployment process. — Yuck
– Yuck, Commented Aug 3, 2014 at 0:51
Those are not "SQL Libraries". They are ADO.NET "libraries". The second is intended to communicate with SQL Server. Most communication with SQL Server does not require SQL Server to be installed on the client machine. — John Saunders
– John Saunders, Commented Aug 3, 2014 at 0:54
@Yuck 100% sure that they would be in the Assembly cache and would require no other intervention from the clients to get this application running? — Daryl Gill
– Daryl Gill, Commented Aug 3, 2014 at 0:54
@DarylGill chances are pretty well just as high that those will be there as, say, the System.Windows.Forms namespace. It's all part of the .NET framework. Of course, you do have to make sure that's installed, but you'd have to do that anyway. And most installers will handle that if need be, if that's what you plan to deploy with. — Matthew Haugen
– Matthew Haugen, Commented Aug 3, 2014 at 1:04
@DarylGill Echoing what Matthew said, you get the namespaces you're asking about for free as part of installing the .NET framework. It's been this way as long as I can remember - at least since version 2.0 — Yuck
– Yuck, Commented Aug 3, 2014 at 1:16

Trevor Pilley · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-23 20:17:29Z

1

The namespaces you have listed are part of the .NET framework and doesn't actually need any part of SQL Server to be installed.

Windows ships with the .NET framework installed so all you need to do is make sure that the correct version of .NET is installed for the version your application is compiled against.

Depending on what installer you use, you may be able to specify a specific version of the .NET framework as a dependency of your application.

answered Apr 23, 2015 at 20:17

Trevor Pilley

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