When it comes to working with SQL Server databases, having a complete and precise documentation is crucial for developers and DBAs. However, creating such documentation manually can be a time-consuming and tedious task. Fortunately, there is a tool that can automate this process and save you a lot of time and effort – dbForge Documenter for SQL Server from Devart.

dbForge Documenter is an automated database generation utility that allows you to create comprehensive and professionally looking documentation for your SQL Server databases in just a few clicks. It provides a wide range of features and advantages that make it a valuable tool for any SQL Server professional.

Key Features and Advantages

• Automated documentation generation: dbForge Documenter eliminates the need for manual documentation creation by extracting extensive data on database objects, properties, inter-object dependencies, and other information.
• Customizable output: The tool offers a rich set of features for customizing the documentation output to meet your specific requirements. You can choose from various style templates and Bootstrap themes to change the look and feel of the documentation.
• Integration with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): dbForge Documenter seamlessly integrates into SSMS, allowing you to document databases directly from the Object Explorer of your SSMS solution.
• Support for MS_Description: Documenter supports the use of MS_Description, a descriptive text added to database objects by database designers. It automatically pulls this text from the MS_Description extended properties and inserts it into the documentation.
• Multiple output formats: You can generate documentation in HTML or PDF format, depending on your needs. HTML format is suitable for web servers and can be easily shared among a group of people, while PDF format is ideal for distributing to various systems and devices.

Generating Documentation with dbForge Documenter

Let’s take a look at how easy it is to generate documentation for a SQL Server database using dbForge Documenter. In this example, we will generate documentation for the AdventureWorks2012 sample database.

1. Start dbForge Documenter for SQL Server.
2. Click on “New Documenter” on the Start Page.
3. Select one or several existing connections from the list or create a new one.
4. In the Database Documenter project window, you can customize the cover page of the documentation by adding a logo, specifying a header, title, and descriptive text, as well as the author and date of creation.
5. In the Structure pane, start typing the database name you want to document. Documenter will filter out the databases and display only the matching ones.
6. Select the components you want to document, such as the entire database, specific tables, or columns.
7. Preview the details of the selected components in the preview pane, including descriptions, properties, columns, indexes, foreign keys, SQL script, dependencies, and usage.
8. Customize the documentation elements on different levels, including servers, databases, objects groups, and individual database objects.
9. Once all the settings are configured, click on “Generate” to proceed with the documentation generation.
10. In the Generate Documentation dialog box, choose the desired file format (HTML or PDF) and specify the folder to store the generated documentation.
11. Click on “Generate” and wait for the documentation to be generated.

Conclusion

As you can see, dbForge Documenter for SQL Server is a powerful tool that fully automates the documentation process and creates a professionally looking technical description of your SQL Server databases. By using this tool, you can save a significant amount of time and effort, and ensure that your databases are well-documented and easily understandable for your team members, clients, and other stakeholders.