Convert an Access file to...?

Question

Hello all I created a project in Access 2007 that involves about 5 or 10 tables and a minimal amount of action queries (stored procedures) and select queries (views). I created the front end and everything was good. Then I changed roads and created a new front end using Visual C# to take advantage of cooler controls sharper front end lack of reliance on the Access Runtime etc. Now I'm wondering is there a way I can build a type of file that mimics a relational-database so I can also convert the back-end to an independent file type? Basically I chose Access over something like SQL server to begin with because I don't need a enterprise class server DB I need a portable file type that doesn't leave a big footprint but still supports all the relational-database features (i.e. Microsoft Project but on a way smaller scale). Is this possible?

Dipal Choksi · Answer

Hi You can certainly build a small project - but depends on the amount of effort you want to spend in development and testing. One alternative is to use XML files to store the data. You could also use text de-limited files but probably want to stay away from that approach. Also there are some freeware databases available which claim to have a small footprint. You might want to check them out in case they match your requirements.