What's the different between digital compact and SLR compact camera?

There is no such thing as a 'SLR compact'.

A digital camera is called compact because the lens is not interchangeable, that is: the lens is built in once piece in the body.

The SLR (Single Lens Reflex) has this feature that both the sensor and the optical viewfinder function through the lens. There is a mirror that covers the sensor which reflects the image from the lens up in the view finder. That is why with a SLR you cannot use the LCD screen on the back to compose the image like you can with a compact. When you take a photo with a SLR, the mirror is lifted allowing the light to reach the sensor. During that time, you cannot see through the viewfinder anymore. This is why a SLR cannot record movies.

The advantages of a SLR are:
- you see optically through the viewfinder which is a precise, bright and accurate tool. The LCD on a compact may be bigger, but it's precision depends on the resolution and is very sensitive to light sources, in daylight it's hard to properly frame a photo
- the extra space inside a SLR is used to house better image processing electronics, faster writing electronics and so on, as they are meant for advanced users.
- a compact has only one lens which is, well, compact. This means that the zoom is not achieved through lenses that have the actual focal point at the specified zoom (eg, 3x should be around 70mm) but through converting lenses that are prone to distortion.
- lenses on a SLR are dedicated, built with high quality glass.

There are some compacts (mega zooms) which lately are built "SLR-like", meaning that they have an optical viewfinder which can see through the lens. It is usable if you switch off the LCD (unlike regular compacts which don't have a viewfinder). Also most often their lenses are built to have the actual focal length specified and don't neet converting lenses.

The newer SLR Olympus E400 is advertised to be 'compact' because it's built with a sensor in the 4/3 system, which allows for a smaller body to house the necessary electronics, but it's not a 'compact camera'.

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Compact Digitals are those little ones that will fit in your shirt/pants pocket. I have never heard of a compact Digital SLR though, your basic Digital SLRs in the 5MP through 8MP bodies are smaller then the more Professional 10MP+ Digital SLRs. You can check specs very easy at www.bhphotovideo.com I have been a customer for more 20 years.

I think you mean the difference between a digital compact and a digital SLR. The latter will give you access to a huge range of specialist equipment if you need it, the cameras are much bigger and heavier and require additional lenses to be carried around to give the fullest range of focal lengths. They have more functionality, tend to be quicker in processing pictures and cost a whole lot more just for the basic camera, never mind the lenses. They do not guarantee a better picture.

High-end digital compacts can have an electronic view finder which gives a through-the-lens view just like a digital SLR. These have the advantage of being brighter than a SLR viewfinder but of a lower resolution. These compacts are far and away better than cameras with off-the-lens viewfinding which gives rise to parallax errors when composing a shot and are on a different planet to the cheap ones with no viewfinder at all and just an LCD screen that cannot be seen in sunlight.

SLR is single lens reflex. what you see is actually what the final picture will look like. SLR's offer more options, usually more mp and are great for pros.