How can I generate a Database diagram using Visual Studio Code automatically? - sql-server

How do I generate a Database diagram in Visual Studio Code automatically without having to actually create the tables one by one?If that's not possible what other app can I use for this?I'm a Mac user, so it would be helpful for any recommendations for apps that can do it automatically.

I use DataGrip on daily basis and it has the functionality that you want.
https://www.jetbrains.com/datagrip/
Main issue is the license cost, but you have 30 days trial or you can apply for student license if you're gonna use for academic purposes. It does have Mac support
You can check their documentation for it. https://www.jetbrains.com/help/datagrip/creating-diagrams.html

Related

DataGrip added value compared to IntelliJ IDEA

So, I was wondering if there is really some new features coming from JetBrains DataGrip software.
So far, I didn't find anything that is not already there in IntelliJ IDEA (Ultimate). I didn't spend much time using it though.
I am Max, the PMM of DataGrip.
We usually say that DataGrip provides the same functionality as all the other IDE's from JetBrains with the database support. As mentioned above, DataGrip provides better user experience as a standalone IDE.
OBSOLETTE:
In 2016.3 there's a feature that is DataGrip specific
Tracking database changes
If there are lots of changes in many places, you can see all of them
from the Database Changes window. Important! This window is available
only in DataGrip, but not in other IntelliJ-based IDE's.
https://www.jetbrains.com/datagrip/whatsnew/
From FAQ part from this blog.
Does DataGrip repeat the functionality of the database tools in other JetBrains IDEs?
Yes, the first version focuses on that core functionality.
Further dialog from comments:
Graham says:
December 16, 2015 at 10:01 pm
This repeats the functionality in Intellij, but does it add any more features over and above Intellij? If they are equal right now, will that always be the case? Would be nice to see a feature comparison chart.
Reply
Andrey Cheptsov says:
December 17, 2015 at 8:03 am
The latest version of IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate includes the functionality of DataGrip 1.0. Still, DataGrip is focused on working with databases and SQL and thus may provide better user experience as a standalone IDE.

Can you create a graphical view of a database using SSDT?

I have just started using SSDT. Is there any way I can get a graphical view of my database and the relations between the tables?
Thanks!
Currently, no there isn't, nor is there any 3rd party plugin for it either (as far as I have been able to establish).
There was some talk a while ago about it possible coming, though no timescales were mentioned:
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/ssdt/thread/853b8ec1-33a2-49c5-9ac2-b93d89e8b859/
Unfortunately, I understand that Gert is no longer working on SSDT, so it may no longer be in the pipeline
There's no diagramming tool within SSDT. You'll have to resort to another tool I'm afraid however that tool will (naturally) require you to deploy your SSDT project first.
A diagramming tool that builds upon the in-memory model that SSDT builds under the covers would be great. Its not there today though.
JT

Installer solution for WPF apps (with update/trial support)

I have several WPF applications. And I think the number of apps would grow overtime. I want to create an installer with these features:
Check for .Net version and ask the user to install it
Support for creating a secure time-based trial version for the app with activation support.
Template support: So I can create one general installer and modify it for each tool.
Update support: Check for the new version of the app.
Easy to deploy: There is a chance that I won't be uploading them myself.
If there is a tool which can help me with these, I'll be glad to use it. Commercial tools are fine too. If not, please suggest a streamlined process to achieve the optimal result.
Advanced Installer, Enterprise edition, with a good price, has also all these features. To learn the tool I recommend this tutorial, after which you can continue with tutorials for the updater and licensing library(trial support).
InstallShield will do what you are looking for but it's not cheap. They have really nice wizards, script editors, SQL packaging, version control, etc.
Flexera Software
Visual Studio 2010 / 2012 include the light version, but it can't really do more than wrap an app for installation. All the other advanced features are reserved to the paid versions.

Alternative for Access+SQL Server for enterprise projects

We're a small software company, developing projects for manufacturing facilities about analysis, traceability, reporting etc. We're using Access for front end, SQL Server for back end. We've quite big customers too and our company is growing. So far it is working fine but I wonder should we move to more influential technologies, such as web based solutions. What do you think about the future of Access?
Well, keep in mind that Access now has a web option. This option works with SharePoint and the new upcoming office 365. Here is a video of an Access application and note how at the half way point I switch to running the application 100% in a web browser. No ActiveX or Silverlight is required. I even tested and run the application on my iPad.
Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU4mH0jPntI
And Access 2010 also has baked in support for the Azure (cloud) edition of SQL server.
So, we have web based options, cloud based options, and there been significant investments into Access for 2010.
You could have a look at these questions:
MS Access as Enterprise Software?
and
What are the appropriate uses for MS Access?
Here we have a central SQL Server database, with both an MS-Access and a Web client interface. MS-Access is history (we started it 5 years ago) and Web is trendy (less than one year old). I must admit that MS Access is still very very efficient and cheap, once you have resolved some MS access specific problems, to which you might find answers here:
Working with multiple programmers on MS Access
How do you use version control with Access development?
Best way to test a MS Access application?
MS-Access, VBA and error handling
You can always use VB.NET Express. It's free, and Microsoft's licensing should still allow you to sell apps created with it (they did with Express 2005).
UPDATE: Access 2013 has better support for web apps than previous versions, and the apps use SQL Server or SQL Azure under the hood by default. So be sure to thoroughly evaluate the latest version of Access before concluding that you need something else.
A very good alternative to Access with similar features is Lightswitch. Here's a quote from MSDN:
Visual Studio LightSwitch is a development environment designed to simplify and shorten the development of businesses applications and data services. LightSwitch makes it easy to create data-centric business applications that can consume a variety of data sources and create clients that can run on a variety of devices.
While Access now has a web option as #AlbertDKallal mentioned (and which is still worth considering as one option), creating an HTML 5 app is the whole focus of Lightswitch. (Note: the original version of Lightswitch required Silverlight, but the newer versions create HTML5 apps that don't require any plugins.) The app will also be more extensible, since it's a .NET app, and for things that require custom programming you can program in C# or Visual Basic rather than VBA.
I should mention at this point that I haven't actually tried Lightswitch yet (!) - I'm currently evaluating it and these are the features that look attractive to me compared to Access. If anyone reading this in the future is curious about what my experience with it was like, feel free to write a comment to remind me.
For some introductory info, see these links:
Showcase Video
Is Visual Studio LightSwitch the New Access?
(Note that this article is about a the original version of LightSwitch, not the latest version.)
And...for a completely different cloud-based option, check out:
https://www.parasql.com/

Silverlight - where do you start (for free)?

First I've read loads of posts and sites that recommend going to http://silverlight.net/GetStarted/ to get started but I do not have visual studio and I'm not going to purchase it just to 'maybe' learn some silverlight that I'm not going to be able to use for a little while.
The reason being that I've already installed visual studio and all the other things required during a quiet period of work, then another project came up and by the time I got back to thinking about silverlight the trial period has finished.
I have not done C# or XAML (mainly Java, AS3 & MXML, hence the lack of MS tools) but I'd like to look into silverlight when I'm quiet to create some test projects and to determine where I can use it if anywhere. Is there a toolset that will let me learn and use all that is required without purchasing the software (perhaps it would have a watermark like the flex datacharts used to have, unless you purchased them, maybe an eclipse plugin - although I imagine I'm being a bit optimistic here).
If there isn't such a thing then perhaps MS should look into this, Adobe recently let anyone unemployed/students etc to get flexbuilder for free to increase its uptake. That would be great is MS did something similar.
If you are a student, you can get professional Microsoft tools for free through the Dreamspark program. http://www.dreamspark.com
You can download Blend preview 3 and visual studio 2010 for free and use it. You have the tools and knowledge now ;-)
Check out Bizspark too.
Allegedly, you can now use one of Microsoft's free "Express" development systems to develop Silverlight apps.
http://www.bluerosegames.com/SilverlightBrassTacks/post/You-can-now-write-Silverlight-apps-in-Visual-Web-Developer-Express.aspx
In addition to the free-as-in-free-beer options from MS that other answers mention: if you only want to play around with Silverlight for now, consider trying Moonlight -- it may not yet be ready for production work, but nevertheless usable for learning purposes.
One place you can go is to the express web site on Microsoft.com. You can get free, albeit trimmed back, versions of the current release of Visual Studio and SQL Server there.
You can also get a trial version of Expression Blend 2. Blend is a design oriented tool for creating Silverlight applications.
You can also usually find betas of upcoming releases without much trouble.
Silverlight + Eclipse:
http://www.eclipse4sl.org/download/
And how to workaround Express for SL
http://www.informikon.com/blog/howto-silverlight-and-visual-studio-express.html
Good luck
Braulio

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