Visual Studio 2013 SQL Server Database Projects

Visual Studio is a large application with so many features that you sometimes you stumble into a new one and think if I had know that 3 years ago. With all the hype over new features like Code Lens, Peek Definition and ASP.NET Integration there are some features that aren’t as flashy and don’t get the attention they deserve…

SQL Server Database Projects

A co-worker of mine, Floyd, (you can find him at @fhilton) recently discovered SQL Server Database Project templates and data tools and I think he found a gold mine:

A Database project is associated with a SQL Server database and allows for developers to pull in all the various assets of the database and use source control. You can also start a new database using the template and deploy right from Visual Studio.

The Features

There are two many exciting features to cover them all but here’s a list of my favorite so far:

• Schema comparison - compare schemas between your development database and production
• Data comparison - compare data between different databases
• Source Control - Yes, Source Control for your SQL
• Change Script generation
• Unit Testing - Yes, Unit Testing (what is this craziness?)
• Generate Snapshots - Snapshots are a point in time version of the database that you can do a schema compare against
• Re-factoring support - Rename a table or column and have all your stored procedures update!
• Deployment
• Windows Azure SQL Database Support

And don’t worry you can do all your ad hoc SQL queries right from Visual studio without having to boot up SSMS. You can find out more about the tooling from the Channel 9 video Introducing SQL Server Database Projects Tooling in Visual Studio 2013

I have only just started to explore the tools but can tell it is going to improve my team’s database management practices. In what ways do you see your self using these tools? What must try features have I missed?