Using the SQL Compare command line with Argfiles

Phil Factor demonstrates how using XML argfiles to pass parameters to SQL Compare cuts out a lot of the tedious scripting involved in modifying a database schema comparison and deployment process, as required for each target database. Read more

SQL Compare 14.0: A Command Line Interface on Linux and support for SQL Server 2019

SQL Compare is the industry standard tool for comparing and deploying database schema changes, and version 14.0 now provides a Command Line Interface (CLI) on Linux (available as a beta, at time of writing). Teams working with SQL Server on Linux, or across multiple platforms, benefit from seamless development processes, driven by SQL Compare, without Read more

Automating Schema Comparisons with SQL Compare Projects and PowerShell

A simple way of automating SQL Server database schema comparison and deployment tasks for multiple databases, by saving the options and configuration settings for each deployment in a project file and executing them from a PowerShell script. Read more

Comparing and Deploying SQL Server Databases using the SQL Compare Command Line on Linux or Windows

SQL Compare now includes a Linux-based command line interface (CLI), as well as a Windows-based one, for doing schema comparison and deployments of SQL Server databases. This article offers worked examples of CLI scripts for various schema comparison tasks, to get you up and running with either version. Read more

Handling Tricky Data Migrations during State-based Database Deployments

This article demonstrates how to use a 'state' approach to database source control, when the nature of the database changes cause you to hit difficulties with migrating existing data. These difficulties happen when the differences are such that it is impossible for any automated script to make the changes whilst preserving existing data. Read more

You just Build It don’t you? 12 Common Database Build Blockers

Database deployments, like the sheep of exasperated hill-farmers, often find strange and unexpected ways to self-destruct. Phil Factor describes the most common things that can go wrong, and how a reliable automated database build process can prevent messy accidents. Read more

How to create and refresh development and test databases automatically using SQL Clone and SQL Toolbelt

A PowerShell automation script to build a SQL Server database from source control, seed it with dummy data, document it, and then deploy copies to any number of test and development servers. Read more

Retrospective Database Source Control with SQL Compare

You've found a database that is not in source control. What do you do? Phil Factor shows how to use SQL Compare to generate all the missing object scripts, in Git, and then keep them up-to-date automatically, in response to any further database changes, during development. Read more

SQL Compare Snapshots: a lightweight database version control and rollback mechanism

During the proof-of-concept phase of development work, SQL Compare Snapshots offer an easy way to work out what broke, if a change causes some tests to fail, as well as a simple ‘roll back’ technique to return quickly to the last working copy. Read more

How to reformat a database in one operation

Inherited a database from another team? Changed your team policy on the way that you format SQL? What's to stop you formatting the code of an entire database nicely, when you're developing it? Manually, the process can take longer than you expect. Phil Factor demonstrates a simple 3-step approach to reformatting a whole database , in a single operation, using SQL Compare and SQL Prompt. Read more

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