VSDB uses the the ($DefaultDataPath) SQLCMD variable to represent the location where you would place your data and log file of your database. The deployment engine sets the value of SQLCMD variable by querying SQL Server using the following query: 1:...(read more)

Now that SQL Server 2008 R2 November CTP is available, I found some time to install it and test the existing Visual Studio 2008 Team System Database Edition GDR R2 release with it. The only thing that is really different from a SQL Server point of view...(read more)

Pre-deployment script do not change the outcome of deployments! The above statements is something that most users do not realize when using pre-deployment scripts. Since the pre-deployment script is included in to the deployment script, it therefore by...(read more)

Last week, September 10, I was invited by the New England SQL Server User Group to present about my favorite topic “ Declarative Database Development ”. I posted the slides of the presentation at DBProj.com . GertD @ www.DBProj.com...(read more)

The DevConnections conference organization (Tech Conferences Inc.), just released the latest issue of the magazine accompanying the conferences, named: MyDevConnections . In this edition (volume 2, issue 1) you will find an article that I wrote about...(read more)

This post announces the availability of a small helper utility that will allow you to maintain your database.sqlcmdvars files from a command line tool. Description: What is the scenario? If you are using vsdbcmd.exe to deploy your schema, you include...(read more)

We frequently get asked how to identify the version a user is running with, so here is the list of Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition releases. The information is retrieved using Help => About Microsoft Visual Studio inside the Visual...(read more)

Quick one based on a forum question where somebody asked how to detect if VSDBCMD.EXE failed or succeeded inside a batch file. VSDBCMD.EXE does not return a very elaborate amount of information, there are just two return values 0 and 1, where zero indicates...(read more)

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....(read more)

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...(read more)