Home of the Data Dude

Agile Database Techniques

2009-07-09T00:16:52Z

I am happy to announce that there is a new class dedicated to VSDB. “ Agile Database Techniques ”, is a 3-days course that provides students with the knowledge and skills to properly manage the SQL Server database development lifecycle in an agile environment. You will learn how to manage changes to the database structure, ensuring quality through T-SQL unit testing, and how to automate the building and deploying of SQL Server databases. Intended for developers and administrators already comfortable...(read more)

Assigning MSBuild Properties to SQLCMD Variables

2009-06-21T23:21:44Z

I am receiving the following question a lot: How do I propagate MSBuild properties to SQLCMD variables. In order to make the Visual Studio 2008 Team System Database Edition GDR release use the data from an MSBuild property inside a SQLCMD variable you need to do three things: Add the variable to the Database.sqlcmdvars file Add a XML fragment to the database project (.dbproj) file Use the SQLCMD variable First you need to add a SQLCMD variable to the Database.sqlcmdvars file, in this example we will...(read more)

DBSchema file for SQL LiteSpeed XP’s

2009-06-11T00:10:38Z

Based on a customer request I created a .dbschema file which contains the definitions of all the extended stored procedures used by SQL LiteSpeed 5.0 that live inside the master database. Since schema import does not import the definition of extended stored procedures, the user could no resolve the reference to the extended stored procedures. The following 39 extended stored procedures are defined inside the dbschema file: Extended Stored Procedure name [dbo].[xp_append_file] [dbo].[xp_backup_database]...(read more)

System Objects in TEMPDB

2009-06-10T23:17:09Z

Today a user send me a question how to resolve reference of system objects inside tempdb? My first thought was this should get resolved by loading the master.dbschema file. However this did not resolve the issue, so time to ask for an example, which slightly altered looks something like this: 1: CREATE PROC [dbo].[testproc] 2: AS 3: SET NOCOUNT ON 4: -- code simplified for this example 5: SELECT [object_id], 6: [name] 7: FROM [tempdb].[sys].[objects] .csharpcode, .csharpcode pre { font-size: small;...(read more)

Declarative Database Development

2009-06-05T22:58:36Z

Define What You Want, Not How You Get There! If Not Exists… Database development is many aspects behind in comparison to regular application development. If you look how database development is integrated with regular application development or development processes it becomes even more obvious that there is room for improvement in this area. When asked, you will find that many database developers are spending their valuable time writing, maintaining, and testing database deployment scripts....(read more)

RTM of VSDB 2008 GDR R2

2009-04-22T15:32:12Z

The QFE rollup release for the Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition GDR release is now available. You can download the SETUP.EXE from the regular location. ( http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bb3ad767-5f69-4db9-b1c9-8f55759846ed ) If you have the VS2008 RTM version of the Database Edition or the RTM version of the VSDB 2008 GDR release installed, this setup will automatically upgrade your installation. If you have the RC installed of the QFE rollup, you have to uninstall...(read more)

Release Candidate of GDR QFE

2009-03-27T01:31:16Z

Yesterday, March 25th, the development team released an RC of the upcoming QFE of the Visual Studio 2008 Team System Database Edition GDR bits. I was surprised to read the new naming “ Visual Studio 2008 Database Edition GDR v2 RC1 ”. Anyhow what is in a name? It is about the content if you would ask me. This RC contains many important fixes for issues that users have reported since the release in November 2008. Fixes in this RC release Schema Validation Aliased external objects do not resolve...(read more)

SQL Connections Slides and Demo Posted

2009-03-26T20:55:54Z

It was great to be able to meet many new users of the Database Edition product at the SQL Connection Spring 2009 conference this week. Thank you for attending the sessions. There were lots of great questions, critical feedback and input for new features and improvements, they are all noted! As promised the slides and demos of the two “DataDude” sessions are now posted on the www.DBProj.com website. SDB413: Automating Database Deployment Do you have a need to automate the deployment of your database...(read more)

DBPROJ vs. DBP

2009-03-25T15:52:09Z

Can the “real” database project please indentify itself? Life can be confusing and we did not help you making it much easier by having two types of Database Projects inside Visual Studio. For the longest time there has been a “Database Project” inside Visual Studio. This project type has the file extension of .DBP and is available under the Other Project Types\Database\Database Project node inside the New Project dialog. It has not evolved for my releases and is purely there for legacy support. This...(read more)

Up to SQL Connections Spring 2009 (Orlando, FL)

2009-03-20T18:46:25Z

Next week I will be presenting at SQL Connections in Orlando where I will be covering some fun topics on DataDude and general SQL Server. Here is the list. SQL Connections Spring 2009 (Orlando, FL) SDB413: Automating Database Deployment Do you have a need to automate the deployment of your database schema? Learn how to leverage DBSCHEMA files in combination with the command line VSDBCMD.EXE deployment engine. The latest Visual Studio 2008 Team System Database Edition GDR release provides a redistributable...(read more)

FIX: Blank Unit Test Designer Problem

2009-03-11T20:21:10Z

If you are running in to the following problem when creating unit tests when using database projects, there now is a fix! Consider the following scenario, you have you database project (.dbproj) open and requesting the creation of a Database Unit Test by right clicking on for example a stored procedure objects inside Schema View. This will active the Create Unit Tests wizard. However, the following problems occur in the Create Unit Tests wizard: There are no type lists in the Types panel. The Output...(read more)

Dealing with Confused Installations

2009-03-08T23:43:00Z

Is your Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition GDR installation confused? Does your menu suffer from multiple instance disorder? Here is what you can do about it. Make sure that Visual Studio (devenv.exe) is closed. Start an elevated command prompt. Run the following two commands: "%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\DBPro\DBProRepair.exe" RemoveDBPro2008 "%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" /ResetUserData Now restart Visual...(read more)

Must Read MSDN Magazine Article

2009-02-25T05:36:37Z

Jamie Laflen and Barclay Hill wrote a great, must read article for MSDN Magazine, detailing the Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition GDR functionality. Besides that it has a great intro describing the base principles of offline database schema development.

Check out MSDN Magazine March 2009

Database Development
Introducing New Features In The VSTS Database Edition GDR
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd483214.aspx

Enjoy the great read!
-GertD

Oracle DSP Announced

2009-02-24T21:02:55Z

Today Quest Software announced that they will offer a Database Schema Provider (DSP) for Oracle that plugs in to the Visual Studio Team System 2010 release.

You can read the announcement at the Quest Software website: http://www.quest.com/newsroom/news-releases-show.aspx?contentid=9102, you can find more detail, like screen shots and sign up for the beta here: http://www.teamfuze.net/index.jspa

For more detail also see Terry Clancy his posting about this: http://blogs.msdn.com/terryclancy/archive/2009/02/24/quest-software-announces-oracle-database-schema-provider-for-visdual-studio-team-system-2010.aspx

-GertD

VSTSDB Blog Site

2009-02-24T05:36:28Z

The Visual Studio Team System Database Edition team has created a new blog site to keep you informed and update about the latest developments.

Please check out: http://blogs.msdn.com/vstsdb

Thanks,
-GertD