Creating and Deploying a "Static" Database

Question

I'm trying to write a Java application that uses a database to store a large amount of encyclopedic-type information, but I don't know how to store and deploy that information in the application itself. Databases are usually stored in one central location (the server), but for a standalone, distributable application this obviously won't work. I've read that JDBC supports "embedded" databases that work out of the application's current working directory, but this would still require a massive SQL script to populate the local database on each installation of the application (so I assume.)

I am not very familiar with the overall deployment process of applications, so perhaps I'm missing a key step, but this seems like a common problem that would have a simple, standardized solution but thus far I have been unable to find it.

Answer 1

I suggest you SQL Server compact edition.it is totaly free and you can incorporate it into your application (add DLL). No need for anything when you deploy your application because your database is embedded.

Here is the download link : SQL Server compact

Answer 2

You could save all you information inside a SQLite database and deploy this together with you application. This way you don't need to recreate you database when you install the application on a new system because the database comes with the installation.

SQLite is a minimal database you can have in a single file and use fully inside you application with a library without any SQL-server software running (all interaction with the database is done by the library you include with you application).

Answer 3

Java comes with its own 'built' in database that you can use.
See http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javadb/overview/index.html

You don't need to populate it each time you install or run, just once during development.