Which is a better choice on a development box if you primarily develop Asp.Net applications and SSRS reports. I have never had to use the Express editions, so I don't really know the pros or cons.
The cons I have listed for Standard+ editions are:
toll it takes on system resources
pain to attach database for projects
pain to detach unused databases
$$$
Pros:
You have everything you need
Management Studio features
Easy move to production
Are you talking about for your dev machine, or for production? If it's your dev machine I would just pony up the ~$50USD for the developer sku, the only caveat is to make sure you don't make use of enterprise features unless you will have enterprise in prod.
I don't have experience with the 2008 versions as yet, but I've used both the 2005 and 2000 equivalent (MSDE) on live production projects. The codebase for both of these is essentially the same as the full blown product but with restrictions on ussage and the absence of some tools - the later of which can be generally worked around with 3rd party replacements.
If the number of concurrent users is low, and the the database is unlikely to grow that large, then generally the express versions are fine. It's a little more hassle to manage than having the full edition to hand, but the cost saving is significant.
Low and that large are of course elastic, but for example we have a real estate application that runs in several offices with half a dozen users and a couple of tables with a million rows and performance and management is perfectly fine.
SQL Server Developer Edition.
The only problem you have to watch out for is that it has features not available (it basically has the Enterprise Edition features) in the Standard Edition (for example, indexed views).
So, for instance, dev edition will work much better than express on your quad-proc dev box.
http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/editions-compare.aspx
Usually there is no "Best" choice, however in this case there is: SQL Server Developer Edition. Reason: It gives you everything in every other edition (except the licensing) for all of $65-$90. Seriously, any SQL developer would be crazy not to get it, it's one of the best deals in the history of software.
Other stuff that you mentioned:
System Load: this depends much more of how you use it than what edition it is. I have both 2005 & 2008 instances running on my 3 year-old 2GB laptop with no ill effects.
pain to attach database for projects: painless with developer edition.
pain to detach unused databases: same
"You have everything you need": now you have everything that you will EVER need (for 2008).
Management Studio features: Yep
Easy move to production: Yep
Honestly, at this price, employers should be giving this to all of their developers.
On the rare occasions where I am in the same situation (usually on my personal web hosting), I opt for sql express + various free or cheap third party tools to substitute for SSMS and EM.
The development editions have all the features of the enterprise editions (with some quirky exceptions, consult BOL), so it's not like the dev edition will give you fewer things to play with. You just won't be able to let any of your customers connect to your SQL developer edition, you'll have to deploy your SSRS reports to a Standard Edition production server somewhere.
If you are using SQL at work and your employer doesn't have a license for SQL Standard at all, then that sound like a licensing problem.
In short, I think the choice of edition starts with a choice of license, which is an economic and legal question, not really a feature set question. (i.e. will your planned uses be legit with your chosen license? with SQL Express and Dev edition you can't wrong-- the sql express has you covered for production use, the dev edition has you covered for being able to use the features you want, like SSMS)
Express isn't really designed for actual products - it is more to let developers familiarize themselves with the system and see if they like it, or for sample apps.
Express is free though, but if you need a free solution you might be better off with MySql.
Related
I just started an internship position this week and I have to learn SQL to do my project. Problem is, the only server they have access to is not something I can really play around with and learn.
I asked if there was any way to make a database locally and they just told me I can add tables on to the already set up databases. I am not allowed to do anything else on it other than queries and the lesson I'm working with uses other functionalities. I can't get my program to work correctly and I'm sure the limited functionality I have has to do with it.
I would like to learn as much as possible before they are ready for me to start the actual project.
You can download SQL Server Express Edition here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-editions-express. Why not install it on your PC at home? You can then login as sa and do whatever you want. I have it installed on my PC at home. It is free.
It is worth noting that SQL Server Express does not have all the features of SQL Server Standard/Enterprise. If you require the full set of features then you can buy SQL Server Developer Edition: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/application-development. The Developer Edition is like the Enterprise edition, but for developers. I believe you can get it for less than £50.
I've personally not played around with these, but I keep hearing good things about them: Microsoft Virtual Labs: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/virtuallabs/
From what I understand, whilst designed for specific purpose, they might be flexible enough to try other concepts on as well.
Worth a short, perhaps?
I'm looking to create SQL database on my Mac and I was wondering what would be the optimal software I can create/operate it with.
Any advise will be highly appreciated.
Postgres
Postgres is a mature heavy-duty enterprise-quality database system. Postgres aims to implement the SQL specifications as closely as is practicable. Postgres is open-source and free-of-cost. Multiple companies sell professional support services. Conferences dedicated to Postgres occur year-round all over the globe including in Ottawa where the core contributors meet. The more I learn about Postgres, the more impressed I become.
There are different ways to install on a Mac:
The usual way is to run an installer provided as a courtesy by the EnterpriseDB.com company. For security, the installer creates a new Unix user on your Mac named "postgres" and creates folders accessible only to that user rather than your regular User account.
Another way to run Postgres is a unique configuration packaged as a Mac app, called Postgres.app, provided as a courtesy by the Heroku company.
MySQL & MariaDB
MySQL (and MariaDB) is a competitor to Postgres, and is quite popular. But MySQL pales in comparison to Postgres in my opinion, in regards to quality, robustness, stability, security, documentation, responsible gradual planned development, focus on safety of your data, openness, and more considerations.
The more I learn about MySQL, the less impressed I became. But MySQL is very popular. You will find many resources, books, and postings on MySQL. But its popularity eludes me. MySQL versus Postgres is like Linux versus BSD, the one seems superior in so many technical categories yet the other gets all the popular hype.
But no need to start a flame-war: check it out and make your own decision.
SQLite
SQLite is another open-source free-of-cost SQL engine. But as the name suggests, it is aimed at relatively small simple purposes. Apple bundles SQLite with both Mac OS X and iOS.
H2 Database Engine
If you are savvy with Java, you might consider the H2 Database Engine. Simple to get started with. Mainly aimed at embedding in an app, though you can use it as a database server. Though it lacks many server features, it may be a good way to get started.
Derby
Derby is another Java-based database engine for both embedded use as well as server. Originally a commercial product, later acquired by IBM and then donated to Apache as an open-source free-of-cost project. There have been some issues with heavy use in production, so research the current state of development. H2 seems to be a better choice over Derby, currently.
Firebird
FirebirdSQL in another open-source database, but I've no experience. Seems to have engaged a new wave of interest and development in recent years.
OpenBase
OpenBase is a commercial database server originally developed for NeXTSTEP/OpenStep (which evolved into Mac OS X that we know today).
Interbase
Another commercial server is Interbase by Embarcadero Technologies.
4D
4D (formerly 4th Dimension) is a unique kind of database server, originally developed on the classic Mac and lives today on both Mac OS X and Windows. 4D is special because it is a competent relational database server but has a proprietary query language rather than SQL. 4D is also special because it is integrated with its own programming tool-set that includes a visual form-layout development environment. Other development tools can access its data through Web Services calls (SOAP, JSON, etc.), plugins, and other mechanisms.
My view
My own choices for projects of late have been:
Postgres, for heavy-duty mission-critical purposes where preserving data is paramount.
H2, for lighter uses, and especially where portability is important. Being Java-based, it can run anywhere.
Firstly, apologies if this question is in the wrong place.
I'm a student who has literally just started learning SQL yesterday, using the SQL*Plus command-line interface. This is fine so far - I've created and populated tables, run simple queries and can spool to files etc. But I'd like a more 'visual' approach to help with my understanding (i.e. I'd like to be able to see the 'objects' as I work on them (much like BlueJ for when I started learning Java). Is this possible with any free software?
I have Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2012 (which I'm new to) - is it possible in this? I can create a new SQL file but without a 'real world database' can I actually run commands in a similar way to the command-line SQL that I've been doing?
Any help at all would be absolutely amazing. Apologies if I'm misunderstanding anything or being simple - I've literally been using SQL*Plus etc for a few hours.
Visual Studio does support designing SQL databases. However, I think the best option for managing a database is SQL Server Management Studio.
SSMS comes with most installations of SQL Server, but if it's not installed, you will have to re-run the installer to install it.
SSMS supports running arbitrary SQL queries, as you may be used to. It also supports a powerful GUI interface (based on the VS interface) for working with all kinds of database objects. You can completely design and populate a database without manually writing any SQL. If you want, you can even make a change, and view the SQL generated to change the database.
Give it a try, and good luck learning SQL.
I was just in your boat a few months ago. I had to teach myself the .NET side of SQL with SQL Server, LINQ, and C# and wanted to share my experience with you.
The fact of the matter is, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is built on top of Visual Studio. I have both SQL Server 2012, and Visual Studio 2010/2012 installed on my computer, and in my experience. Look for an extension called "SQL Connect" in Visual Studio. It supports GUI building of tables.
As far as free software, if you are a student like me, you should be eligible for the Dreamspark program. Microsoft graciously allows academic licenses for virtually all their development software (including some freebies like free copies of Windows 7 Professional, OneNote, and Lync).
Also a book I highly, highly recommend to supplement your learning is "SQL Visual Quickstart Guide (3rd Edition)" It's only ~15 dollars for the eBook. Also, the Pluralsight videos on SQL Server help a lot, which you will get a three free month trial through Dreamspark. There is also a wealth of examples on the MSDN website that teach you with the Adventureworks database, which should be on Microsoft CodePlex.
Happy learning!
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At work we recently upgraded from Microsoft SQL Server 7 to SQL 2005. The database engine is a lot more advanced, but the management studio is pretty awful in a number of ways. Most of our developers decided they preferred to stick with the old Query Analyzer tool, even though it had a lot of limitations.
In my spare time, I decided to write a replacement for Query Analyzer / Management Studio that did the things our developers most needed to do. I finally got permission to release it for free: Versabanq Squel (versabanq.com/squel).
Like I said, it's free, so this isn't a sales pitch. But it got me thinking. What I'm wondering is: are most of you satisfied with SQL Studio the way it is? Do people just use it because it's what Microsoft pushes on them? Are there many people out there looking for something better? Maybe I can get some support for long-term development of this, if it looks like there might be some wider interest.
By the way, check out SQL Server Management Studio Alternatives, someone else's earlier question on this topic. What I see there is that there are surprisingly few options. Why do you think that is?
Ha, I came from exactly the same standpoint, so I made a tool, code completion and all, plus there's a free edition available. It's at http://www.atlantis-interactive.co.uk - it's basically for people who miss QA. Your tool looks nice, good job.
While I would love something better, it would have to be significantly better and free. SMS is definetly a hog but I've gotten used to it. What I miss the most is Query Analyzer. I don't mind using SSMS to manage the server but having a fast lightweight, editor for SQL queries would be awsome...
Did I mention free? Not something I'm willing to pay for right now.
EDIT
FYI I downloaded your tool looks neat but you need to add support for Windows Authentications unless I am just missing how its done.
I think Management Studio is far superior to the old SQL 2000 tools. Enterprise Manager was a shocker of a tool, forever hanging and crashing. Query Analyzer is still ok if ALL you ever do is create and run SQL queries, but to be honest once I started using Management Studio I never went back to EM/QA.
I've used Apex SQL Edit before and preferred it over Management Studio. It provided intellisense well before SQL Server 2008's Management Studio.
http://www.apexsql.com/sql_tools_edit.asp
I just moved to developing on linux with mysql and boy do I miss MS SQL Management Studio. It is a fantastic tool. I agree it takes a bit getting used to after using query analyzer, but the query tool in management studio is actually better. I really do not think there is a better alternative. I tried the Apex SQL Edit also but found MS to be superior.
I also suggest using SQL Prompt from Red-Gate to get intellisense (autocomplete). Their other tools are also excellent.
If you are currently developing (or will start developing) using the .NET 3.5 Framework, then I suggest you give your developers this little handy application: LINQPad
This will help your developers learn LINQ (an Integrated O/R Mapper that makes .net developers' lives much easier) syntax, and at the same time use a more-light weight SQL management application
This advice is only valid if you're developers are using Microsoft's .net 3.5 Framework
I was quite happy with the Enterprise Manager of 7.0 and 2000. I kind of liked the ideas of MMC snapins. As long as you remembered to hit refresh, it wasn't that bad.
The new 2005 Management Studio is ok too. I see no point in choosing anything else. I fail to see the grand improvement that could justify a move for me. Everybody seems to use the stuff that comes with SQL Server, and compared to the stuff that comes with Oracle, it is pretty good. Oracle developers have more choice, and it is no mystery!
Books Online is great, and has been since 7.0.
My favourite part about Query Analyzer is and has always been the execution plan view. It's such a Good Thing!
Every new version of SQL Server has a lot of new stuff, but sadly some stuff gets dropped too. I think it's sad that English Query is gone. I never found a project for it, pushing it in Norway was part of the problem, but I thought it was brilliant.
I have tried a handful of them including TOAD, ApexSqlEdit and a couple of others. The problem with all of them is that while they include great features Management Studio is missing they also lack critical features Management Studio already has, I always found myself with two windows open, my third party editor and Management Studio. This is one area where I think Red-Gate has really nailed it, they don't try to replace management studio, just make up for it's deficiencies by extending it, adding intellisense, light refactoring, and code formatting. So far my favorite solution by quite a margin is Management Studio with RedGate SqlPrompt Pro added in for the intellisense and formatting which boost my productivity quite a bit.
SQL Server Management Studio 2008, when used against a SQL Server 2008 database, supports Intellisense for SQL Queries. Nuff said!
edit: sorry, didn't realize you said SQL 2005. Eh, I like SSMS 2005 as well.
I, for one, would definitely like something other than Management Studio. Is it just me, or do other people feel that it is wayyyyy slower than SQL Server 2000's Enterprise Manager? More features or not, I need something that can get the job done quickly.
I was having issues determining how to set up user permissions on SSMS. Eventually I accidentally ran into the correct way to do it and it works nicely now. I never used any tools previously for SQL Server so I can't compare but I think this does everything I need it to at the moment.
Anything is better than the tripe called SQL Server Management Studio. Sorry, but it's plain awful for us non-DBA guys. Maybe you DBA and programmer types like it, but it's a major PITA for those of us who are just the Server guys who schedule backups and such. It's slow. SLOW. And the Maintenance Plan interface is a living nightmare of bugs and gotcha's. Enterprise Manager wasn't perfect, but it was far, far easier to use than SSMS.
It really reminds me of Visual Basic 4 compared to VB3 - MS was trying to go in the right direction, they just did a really poor job. Of course, we eventually got VB6, so maybe in MSSQL Server 2011 we'll have something decent again. But for now, I just wish I could run Enterprise Manager against my SQL2005 servers, as SMSS makes me batty.
However, I haven't yet had any problems running the Query Manager from 2000 against my 2005 servers, at least not for the simple queries I do. At least that still works.
Management Studio is imperfect, and has a few bugs but I find it FAR and away better than the old 2000 tools. No contest. I use SSMS 2008 to manage all my servers including the SQL Server 2000 (ack!) instances.
Even with its warts, I have yet to see someone create a tool that is better for what it does - nobody probably has time to (re)build out every feature.
My 2 cents.
Yes, but they have almost always had their own problems.
Out of all of them, I used Toad for quite a bit, but found it to be a bit less responsive compared to Management studio. Maybe it was the building of intellisense (which was also very picky - it always required me to put in the Database.owner. prefix and had trouble with aliases), but it just didn't feel as comfy.
Back to SQLMS...
I know just the question is a bit of heresey, but I'm curious...
Sure, there are the express editions. But when Microsoft is effectively competing for 'hearts and minds' in an OSS world, it seems more than a bit counterproductive to charge devs who wholeheartedly support .NET high subscription fees for Microsoft software. It's hard to imagine that, in the context of Microsoft's overall sales, dev licenses represent such a significant revenue stream as to justify the downsides.
So my question is: do you know of any instances where MSDN subscription rates have deterred a team from adopting .NET for a project - where cost played a role in a decision to go OSS instead?
I think MS has made huge inroads to making .Net cheaper to access and work with. With competent Express versions of Visual Studio and Sql Server, the only thing you need to pay for is Windows itself (both in your dev environment and server/production environment).
The only thing holding .Net back now is it may not be the right tool for every job regardless of cost.
It does to me. It makes me ask maybe I should try and become a Microsoft MVP because they get all the software for free.
You can't buy Expression Blend and Design for anything but the highest level on the License and that just ticks me off.
I don't think so, especially with the empower program for small ISVs -- $375 gets you 5 MSDN licenses and other goodies. After that there are Microsoft Action Packs as well as the entire partner program.
I've always gotten legal, free copies of Visual Studio. You can either download the Express versions which will handle most people's needs or go to the Launch events where they literally give out copies to everyone who shows up.
.NET Framework is a free download, so really the only thing left is a box running Windows.. and I'd be willing to bet that you've got one of those kicking around somewhere.
There's no reason to purchase an MSDN subscription.
It's not a barrier to entry, but it certainly represents a glass ceiling. You get a lot of things with the Express editions, but not EVERYTHING. There's a lot of little perks that come with the Pro versions - addins for instance +cough+ Resharper +cough+. I'd say you need Visual Studio 20xx Pro at a minimum to do any mid-range to Enterprise level development.
The cost of MS developer tools was the sole reason behind my Year of Linux. It's tough seeing all the free development tools for Linux, OS X and Java. If my job didn't depend on keeping up to date with .NET, I'd leave it for dead in a heartbeat.
In my view MSDN subscriptions are not a huge deterrant, as not only are there express editions, there are also trial versions of most products, and I think a basic MSDN subscription is not that expensive.
However licencing costs and licencing complexity of certain developer tools as well as certain products can be a huge obstacle which unfortunately is often not thought about at the beginning of projects.
I am aware of a number of projects which have chosen alternative technologies due to licencing costs and licencing complexity.
I'm currently on the Empower program but I'll be paying the full fare when it runs out
for the same reason I pay A$800/year for an AutoCAD subscription - it easily saves me more time & hassle than it costs in the long run by having everything I need at my fingertips.
I think I'm getting value for money when I consider both the licenses as well as the community - most of which I suppose is free anyway.
I consider it a legitimate cost of running my business and it's tax-deductible anyway.
I am trying to restart my career, my life, etc and my previous MSDN Universal sub expired in 2005. At the time it expired, I stopped working for a while. That coincided with Microsoft changing the cost and structure of that subscription program. To acquire a similar subscription today is out of the question. I do not have the funds. I am currently developing with old technology (VB6 and ASP) and will do so until I have the funds to purchase the MSDN sub that I want. I have downloaded the "express" versions of VS 2008 and SQL 2008 but, lets be frank, any serious developer is going to want to utilize the features that arent available in "express". In exploring this issue here on StackOverflow, I have seen others talk about the Empower program. It looks promising and I shall investigate it.
But, yes, the barrier to entry is the cost. Hopefully Empower lowers that, for a while. I agree with the requirement that after it expires I will need to pay full fare. I think thats only fair.