Free SQL program

SQL Express?  Microsoft SQL Developer Edition?  Am I missing something?  These have been available for years.

Best place to download SQL Express?

btw, difference between Express and Dev Edition: The Dev edition is free and is basically a FULL BLOWN SQL Server that is free to use in a dev environment. If you are going to deploy to a production environment, you would need to use SQL Express, which has limitations to the amount of data you can store, etc.
This site will let you view specs of each version.

I would basically need it to store at most 999 entries. The database would then be mounted to a Full blown version of SQL for a customer.

So would work best? Dev Edition?

Given your specs (<1000 rows), SQL Express is more than powerful enough.

If you're asking how to WORK with SQL Data in .NET, then you use the builtin System.Data.SQL namespace, which includes objects like SQLConnection, SQLCommand, etc etc. This is part of the .NET framework, so it's present on any machine that has the right version of that framework.

So for the SQL Express version.

I am only using my program to connect to it which the Database would reside the local PC which is running my software.

Definitely SQL Express. It is much more lightweight then any of the other versions.

There's also LocalDB, a lightweight version of SQL. I use this for one of my programs that runs completely local to the machine, and it works very well. Very easy to install/configure, and would be more than sufficient for your needs.

If you're going to deploy to an environment that has a true SQL SErver, however, you should develop in an environment like that - i.e. setup a server, install SQL Express, and "connect" to that server just as your client will.

If you're going to deploy to an environment where users have their own unique stand-alone programs, and those programs DO NOT connect to a central database, then LocalDB would work well.

Ok great thank you for all the valuable information. I would download from the following location https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-editions-express

Correct?

For interface SQL and VB.NET you ca use Entity Framework
http://www.entityframeworktutorial.net/entityframework6/create-entity-data-model.aspx

Ok. I will be using VB 2005 for this project. Would SQL Express be integrated that far back?

In VB 2005 you cannot use entity framework... you can only use ADO.NET

With that little bit of data, I'd go for MongoDB for ease of use (both in using/developing/maintenance/installation). Thats of course, if NoSQL suits your needs. Much less of bloatware, easier to understand log files, etc etc

Why are you still using VS2005? There have been thousands of improvements in the past 14 years. VS2017 Community Edition is free

YES! cmdolcet.... Why are you using "old" VS2005 when you could be using free software that is much newer!  Microsoft wants to know, and when they figure it out, they'll realize that not everyone wants the latest and greatest.....

David I would love to upgrade and I have newer license but when you have custom designs with PLC,Database,Integration BLE its hard to upgrade everything in one go.

thanks for your feedback!

I'm curious as to what Ermanno offered that you accepted his solution that was not already stated by myself and Lee W. in our comments and links? My link took you to the same location (actually one page prior, but clicking on Feature Comparison took you to the same location.)

cmdolcet assigns the resolution to Doug Bishop and Lee W. for me there are no problems I joined the Expert Exchange to learn and if I can to share, I do not care about the rankings.
Unfortunately I respond when I can and sometimes I lose the answers of other users I apologize for this.

As you have already written other users if you can use the latest version of Visual Studio in this project you will avoid problems in the future if you have to do it for several years.

Not trying to be argumentative or anything, and I too am in it for what I can learn and to help others. Typically you give points to the first person who answers the question. Lee provided the link to SQL Express. My link, which followed, provided comparisons of different editions.
It is ultimately up to the author to decide which answer(s) to accept or flag as helpful but I was just interested in his thinking on this one.

Not sure why this particular one stuck out over others but, for some reason, it did. No worries either way.