SQL Express / Visual Studio Express

Can I use Visual Studio Express with SQL Express and Visual Web Develop Express Edition to develop nopCommerce on a localhost setup (local PC) before I load it live to my ISP ?

Do I need to run it o a local IIS service or can I use the development server that is part of .NET with the Express editions ?

1. Yes. You can.
2. You don't need IIS.

Thanks for the prompt reply.

It seems to run OK in Visual Studio Express, although I do get "Solution folders not supported....." but otherwise everything looks to be there. On browser preview I get a dialogue warning some parts of the project won't run, but it seems OK.

However when I load the install.aspx at page 2 it does not recognise my sqlexpress server. It defaults to the computer name, I've tried "SQLEXPRESS" the default instance name. I have put in lots of options such as localhost, IP address 1433, and tried an Alias, etc. but it's the same error message everytime :

A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server)

I don't know how to setup an account or username on sql express, am I'm missing something basic or have I a bit more work to do to set this up ?

Thanks, Rod

have you tried computername\sqlexpress?

In fact I found out by trial and error you need :

  .\SQLEXPRESS

as the Sql name. Don't bother with a user name/password etc. So itcould work with computername\sqlexpress too.

It all works perfectly on my local PC now - no IIS, just VSExpress and the ASP.NET development server - not bad really for such a big application. Saves me a lot of hassle, time (and money!)

I haven't delved extremely deep into the ability to edit the individual class libraries for nopcommerce using C# Express, but I was able to successfully open any individual class library from the overall project, and recompile them individually. I was then able to individually take the resulting .dll from that class library, and replace the same named one in the website's /bin/ folder, without subsequent errors. So, in theory, with the MS Web Developer Express Edition for all of the site files, and with MS C# Express Edition for the occasional (though likely unnecessary) tweaks to the nopcommerce class libraries, you can develop and modify nopcommerce to meet your needs. With the express editions "Fine In Files" search functionality, and also I use Notepad++ (a nice generic editor) I've been able to map my way through the nopcommerce code relatively easily.

Sidenote: I also recommend the use of the SQL 2008 Management Studio so that you can more readily view your sqlexpress database, and you can get a much better idea in particular about the nopcommerce team's use of localresource variables in the database. It also will allow you to more readily view the stored procedures that the nopcommerce team tends to use.

So far, fingers crossed, I've been able to navigate through their code and the database without too many headaches in the express editions and using "find in files" functionality in good text editors; along with staring at the database using SQL 2008 Management Studio Express.

If you run into anything major, post away.

Thanks for that info. Like you been I've working through the files and getting familiar with nopcommerce. VSE seems to be OK so far and no hiccups. Appreciate the tips on editors too.

I'm a novice at SQL, I did downoad the Management Studio and look at the database files and I also linked then through a DSN to Access for a closer look.

I know I will want to create and add my own data to a lot of the product details, most likely using Tabs and I wasn't sure the best way to do this, either create my own database (access) or extend the SQL one. I can't quite understand why the nopcommerce SQL database doesn't show in the Database Explorer in the same way as if I'd added an access db. Your thoughts on this would be welcomed.

you can create a databse in SQL management studion, run the NOP scripts on it then click on 'data connections' in VWD and select add new connection

This where I'm a novice. What/Where/How are the nopcomm scripts  ? Being more familiar with MS Access I'm also still not sure how I can add and update data in a SQL db.

I'm also going to need a statement to link my database FK to the Product ID Key, which I'm sure I can figure out but if anyone has done that already I'd appreciate any tips.

- alas no haggis in the local asda, but I'm sure Mr Burns won't mind a hotdog in it's place

hey rc

the scripts are in  
nopcommerce-->install-->scripts

but if you have already created the database with NOP and the store is working on your local machine, then the connection string will already have been replaced in your web.config file