ElevateSoft has released ElevateDB, the successor to their incredibly good DBISAM.
ElevateDB may well be the most flexible, most scalable database presently on the planet.
If you're creating a desktop app that needs either single-user, or shared-file multi-user access, ElevateDB's "engine" will compile right into your Win32 executable as native code. If you need a full-blown client-server solution, ElevateDB has a database server.
Not get this! If you're writing a .NET WinForms application, the engine becomes part of your application as 100% managed code! (At the time of this writing, the .NET version is not yet complete)
With strong coverage of SQL 2003, ElevateDB uses the industry standard SQL/PSM language for stored procedures and triggers.
Alternately, you can write triggers and stored procedures as Win32 DLLs. The .NET version will allow for creating triggers and stored procedures in the .NET language of your choice.
With no limitations on performance or capacity, ElevateDB is 100% royalty-free. This can give you a major competitive advantage when proposing solutions for your clients.
Wes has always had nothing but praise for DBISAM but it has only been available for Borland products such as Delphi and C++ Builder, IDE's I don't use, so I haven't had the opportunity to try it out first hand. I am definitely looking forward to trying out ElevateDB with Visual Studio 2005.