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I am working on a database project and the entire team is working within Visual Studio. I created a database project, and I suppose I was hoping that I could utilize UML diagramming (or something along the lines of MySQL Workbench) so that I could "design" my database, and then auto-generate scripts. Unfortunately, at least from my cursory search, such a tool does not appear to exist within Visual Studio (I am using 2008 Professional).
Is there something within VS that I am missing? If so, could you please point me to it? Otherwise, what suggestions do you have for creating a database. I would like to be able to easily allow other developers to quickly create the database as well as put the files into source control. I'm envisioning designing the database via UML, and then, from there, everything is generated for me.
Also, in VS 2008 Professional, there is a "Database Project" that you can make use of. It's sole purpose is to store database scripts that you can then put under source control. You can either write the scripts yourself, or use the designer. If using the designer, after you create and save the table, you can right-click on it in the Server Explorer and choose "Generate Create Script".
http://blog.reamped.net/post/2008/05/Using-Database-Projects-for-Visual-Studio.aspx
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=31764
Visual Studio 2008 Team System database edition seems to do what you want. here is the link
I am using 2008 Professional
Actually, database projects should not be available to you. At least, I do not see any SQL2005 or SQL 2008 projects in my VS 2008 Pro. You'd need the VS Database Edition or Team Suite for that functionality. Even so, it doesn't offer any graphical tools as far as I know. You can add database elements as script files and have it generate a deployment script for you.
You could also play with the Entity Framework 4 (requires VS 2010). There you have a graphical designer which will afterward generate a script for you.
Alternatively, you could try the Sybase PowerDesigner. Also a very powerful piece of software.
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I am searching for an affordable alternative to RedGate's ReadyRoll for continuous deployment for SQL.
All of my searches are returning open source projects from nearly a decade ago.
Does anyone have a decent alternative???
Which edition of Visual Studio do you use? If you are fortunate enough to own Visual Studio Enterprise Edition, Redgate (who I work for) has an arrangement with Microsoft to supply ReadyRoll Core Edition at part of your entitlement.
If you're using VS Pro or Community then you'll either have to purchase ReadyRoll Pro or you can try one of the open source projects out there. As you point out there are a bunch of OSS projects that are no longer kept up to date, but Flyway is the exception and actively maintained. Mind you, unlike ReadyRoll Flyway doesn't generate the migration scripts for you. It simply provides a framework to manage and run unrun migrations scripts that you have authored yourself against your chosen target database.
Note: ReadyRoll Core has been removed from VS 2019
We've been happy just using SQL Server Database projects within Visual Studio, deploying to our databases as needed. It helps that we're using domain driven design so almost all the tables are built by the C# devs.
Check out AzureDbUp.
It's DbUp wrapped into a console application for use in your devops pipelines.
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Currently I'm wrapping up an application at the moment, and I'm at the stage where I need to document the application for anyone who wants to use it.
At this point, I just need something that will tell users how to use my program. Even though I tried to design it as user friendly as possible, I have a group of users who aren't tech savvy and need something they can refer to.
So my question is basically: What can I do to easily create help files?
This answer will pretty much assume you're using some version of Microsoft Visual Studio, although the first approach is generic enough to work on any OS with a HTML rendering engine.
You could create a series of HTML files, store them locally on the user's computer, and when the user calls up help, load those in the default browser (this being the same kind of approach Microsoft took with Visual Studio 2010). However, I think that's kind of a hacky solution.
There used to be a product called HelpStudio Lite; unfortunately it's been discontinued.
If you're willing to use Microsoft Help 2.0 (which was used through Visual Studio 2008 and some other products), you might want to take a look at http://www.mshelpwiki.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Help2. Evidently it's some kind of wiki detailing how to put together your own Help 2.0 documents. I'm not sure if it will work with Visual Studio 2010 (this is because VS 2010 uses a new help system).
I really wish Microsoft would get their act together on the help documentation front.
EDIT: You may want to look at Sandcastle Help File Builder. I found it recommended at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6023/what-are-good-tools-for-creating-compiled-html-help-files-chm... actually you may want to go read that thread as well.
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Are there any free, or cheap plug-ins/add-ons for SQL Management Studio that provide intellisense and (less importantly) some auto-formatting? I've recently tried Redgate's product and really like it for these features, but I'm wondering if there are any alternatives.
Late answer, but might be interesting to the thread visitors
Have you heard of ApexSQL Free tools - ApexSQL Complete and ApexSQL Refactor? These might be just what you need.
ApexSQL Complete autocompletes SQL keywords, and has a ton of other SQL Server productivity features for SSMS and Visual Studio, and it is completely free.
ApexSQL Refactor is SQL formatter with over 160 formatting options - it is too completely free.
Both of these are SQL Server Management Studio and Visual Studio plugins, so you can use them directly from within SSMS and VS.
Check out our dbForge SQL Complete. It is an add-in for SSMSthat offers autocompletion and formatting of T-SQL code and supports SQL Server 2000, 2005 and 2008
Recently we have released a new major version (2.00) which includes much more new features.
There's two editions – Express, which is free and has basic autocomplete and formatting functionality, while Standard Edition offers more features, has 30-days free trial and costs only $49.95.
I think ssms toolspack is what you are looking for. I use it myself. Works from sql-server 2005+
I am a big fan of the Red-Gate tools.
SQL Server 2008 has some of the intellisense built in when working with compatible servers. I've heard of but never tried the SMSS Tools Pack.
For Intellisense style suggestions db Forge SQL Complete (Free Edition) works great for me. No lag in Management Studio that I experienced with some of the other free add-ins like SQL Prompt.
Didn't agree 100% with the Formatter so just don't use it.
DB: SQL Server 2005
IDE: SQL Server Mgmt Studio 2008 R2 & Visual 2008 Team Suite
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I am trying to generate an Entity Relationship Diagram from an existing MS SQLServer 2005 database. What tools are available? Specifically,I am not only interested in ERD's more directly I am looking for a tool to help quickly learning and analysing a medium size (schema wise not really row wise) database structure.
I can see that this post is quite old and MS SQL Server Management Studio might have not had this feature back then! Though as far as I know with SQL Server 2012 you can generate the ER diagrams by taking a few simple steps listed below:
MS SQL Server management Studio > File menu > "Connect Object Explorer"
Choose your Database node and expand it. under this node you'll find a sub-node called "Database Diagrams"
Right click on "Database Diagrams" > "New Database Diagram" > Add tables that you wish to see their columns, relationships, ...
The database reverse engineering feature of microsoft Visio are excellent for pulling the schema out of a database and developing from there. I'd investigate that avenue if you haven't already.
I've used Visio and had some good results with that. One thing I do though too is to use the visual designers (Database Diagrams) built into SQL Server GUI. When you drop the tables in there, it automatically includes the foreign keys. You can just include the tables you want at this point to focus in.
All of these tools though anticipate the foreign keys pre-existing.
I've been happy with DBDesigner4.
You can also generate an ERD from Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.
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I've been tasked with redesigning part of a ms-sql database structure which currently involves a lot of views, some of which contain joins to other views.
Anyway, I wonder if anyone here could recommend a utility to automatically generate diagrams to help me visualise the whole structure.
What's the best program you've used for such problems?
I am a big fan of Embarcadero's ER/Studio. It is very powerful and produces excellent on-screen as well as printed results. They have a free trial as well, so you should be able to get in and give it a shot without too much strife.
Good luck!
Toad Data Modeller from Quest does a nice job on this and is reasonably priced. Embarcadero E/R studio is good too, as Bruce mentioned.
OP asked about diagramming views and view dependencies, SQL Management Studio and Enterprise Manager doesn't allow you to diagram views. I can't vouch for the other tools.
The LINQ to SQL designer for Visual Studio does allow you to drop views on the design surface but there isn't a easy way to model the dependencies between the views. I'm not sure which tool has this type of diagramming functionality. You could take a look at Red Gate's SQLDoc tool but it just provides text based output.
If you are talking about MS SQL Server tables, I like the diagram support in SQL Server Management Studio. You just drag the tables from the explorer onto the canvas, and they are laid out for you along with lines for relationships. You'll have to do some adjusting by hand for the best looking diagrams, but it is a decent way to get diagrams.
I upmodded Mark's post about Toad Data Modeler and wanted to point out that they have a beta version that is fully functional and free. The only downsides are the occasional bug and built in expiration (typically around the time a new beta is available), but for this poor bloke it does wonders until I can get my boss to chip in for a license.