SQL Server Express LocalDB

SQL Server Express LocalDB

LocalDB is a lightweight version of the SQL Server Express Database Engine created specifically for developers. It starts on demand and runs in user mode, so there is no complex configuration. By default, LocalDB database creates .mdf files in the C:/Users/<user> directory.

Developers for whom LocalDB is enough don't need to install and manage full instance of SQL Server Express. It offers T-SQL like standard SQL Server does and is a good embedded database. It doesn't create Windows services at all, LocalDB processes are started and stopped as needed.

SQL Express LocalDB can be considered as a next logical step from SQL Server Compact (SQLCE) when you need a truly powerful embedded database.

Full Convert supports SQL Server Express LocalDB database directly.

SQL Server Express LocalDB data types we support

Integral

bigint, int, smallint, tinyint

Decimal

decimal (numeric), double, float (real), money, smallmoney

Text

char, nchar, ntext, nvarchar (sysname), nvarchar(max), text, varchar, varchar(max)

Binary

binary, bit, timestamp, varbinary

Date/Time

date, datetime, datetime2, datetimeoffset, smalldatetime, time

Large objects

geography, geometry, image, ntext, nvarchar(max), text, varbinary(max), varchar(max), xml

Other

dynamicobject, hierarchyid, sql_variant, table, uniqueidentifier

Export SQL Server Express LocalDB database

It may make sense to migrate your data away from SQL Server Express LocalDB. You may want to do it permanently or just need to share your tables with a collague in a different format.

We will copy all your tables with their data and apply indexing and relationships exactly as they are in your current SQL Server Express LocalDB database. In a nutshell, you get exactly the same database in another database engine. Each time you run the migration, we will copy all the tables again. Of course, we have a built-in scheduler, so you can run this overnight and have a fresh database copy in the morning.

Take a look at the quick tutorials below to see how it's done.

Import data into SQL Server Express LocalDB database

Additionally, if you want to import data on a regular basis and do not want to recreate the whole target database from scratch every time, but rather do tiny targeted sync of only changes since the last run, please use Full Convert Pro or Ultimate.

Take a look at the quick tutorials below to see how it's done.