backwards compatibility of the MDF file 2000 and 2005

I'm looking for information on if the SQL Database files are compatable between SQL 2000 and SQL 2005.

I know I can take a mdf from SQL 2000 and attach it to a SQL Server 2005 server and everyting works.

So the real quesiton is : Can I take a SQL Server database that started in SQL 2000, attach it to SQL Server 2005 and work with it, (including schema changes) and then attach it to a SQL Server 2000 server.

In the above scenario I'm keeping the compatability level at 8 (2000).

Does MS have any articals on this subject.

I need to know the limitations since the products I'm working on have to support both versions and so do our internal tools.

Thanks,

D

The MDF file format is different between SQL 2000 and 2005 and are not compatible. Compatability level affects the behavior of certain functionality, not the file format that SQL 2005 uses.

You should be able to write applications that can support both SQL 2000 and SQL 2005 without too much problem, but you will not be able to swap the actuall MDF file between the different versions.

Regards,

Mike Wachal
SQL Express

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I have been able to take a 2000 database and use it with SQL 2005 but not the other way around.

Are you saying that I should not be using a 2000 database on a 2005 server?

Thanks for the help

|||You can go from SQL2K to SQL2K5 but not the other way.