Embed .sqlite database in .exe c# application

Question

I want to embed the SQLite database into my C# windows form app (.exe) so I can give a very non-tech savvy client just the .exe file and nothing else. The database is read-write and I need to access its path for the DataSource like so:

 SQLconnect = new SQLiteConnection("DataSource=" + path + ";Version=3;Compress=True;");

I also tried saving the database to a folder on Desktop but SQLiteConnection.CreateFile(path) seems to fail because if I put the .exe file outside the bin/debug folder, .exe does not open at all (but it creates the necessary folder on Desktop).

But as long as it is in the bin/debug, it creates the database file and creates the tables and .exe works perfectly. There are no errors raised at any point in the application.

Answer 1

To include the SQLite dlls you will have to modify the property of the reference and mark it as Embedded Resource . You will probably have to use ILMerge See this .

You cannot embed the database. So, you have the following two choices :

1. You can create In-Memory/Temporary database .

   var connection = new SQLiteConnection("Data Source=:memory:");

2. Create the database on the go. On your application startup, you can create and seed the database. See this .