SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is a powerful development tool provided by Microsoft for building SQL Server relational databases in Visual Studio. It offers a range of features that can greatly enhance your database development process. In this article, we will explore some of the key features of SSDT and how they can benefit you.

1. Treat your Database like Code

With SSDT, all of your database objects such as tables, views, stored procedures, and functions are treated as code. You can write, build, and publish them directly in Visual Studio. This approach allows you to version control your database code, ensuring that you never lose any code even if the database goes down. SSDT also supports source control integration, making it easy to manage your code using tools like Git.

2. Reverse Engineer Existing Databases

If you already have existing databases, you can easily import their schema into SSDT. This feature allows you to quickly start working with an existing database and leverage the power of SSDT for further development and maintenance.

3. Schema Compare of Two Databases

SSDT provides a schema compare feature that allows you to compare the schema of two databases and identify any differences between them. This is particularly useful when you want to check for differences between your test and production databases. You can choose to update the target database or generate a script with all the changes. This feature also helps in syncing changes made outside of SSDT, such as direct DDL statements executed on the database.

4. Publishing Database Schema

Once you have finished developing your database objects, you can easily publish the solution. This process builds the solution, checks for any discrepancies, and deploys the database objects to a target server. You can choose to do an incremental deployment, where only changes are pushed to the database, or a re-creation of the entire database. Publishing is a convenient way to push out a new database or update an existing one.

5. Generate Report with Changes

Every time you build the solution or publish it, SSDT creates a .dacpac file that contains all the information about the database schema. Using the sqlpackage.exe tool, you can generate an XML report that shows all the changes that will be deployed during a publish operation. This report can be useful for reviewing and documenting the changes made to the database.

6. Editor and Templates

SSDT provides an editor where you can easily create and edit database objects. It offers templates for various types of objects, making it easier to create them without having to remember the syntax. For complex objects like tables with multiple columns, you can use the tabular editor to enter and edit the information in a more organized manner.

7. Refactor Code

SSDT supports code refactoring, which allows you to make changes to your database objects without breaking dependencies. For example, if you rename a table, SSDT will automatically update the references to that table in other objects like views or stored procedures. This feature helps maintain the integrity of your database code and reduces the risk of errors during refactoring.

SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is a valuable tool for database developers and administrators. It provides a seamless integration with Visual Studio and offers a wide range of features to streamline your database development process. By treating your database as code, reverse engineering existing databases, comparing schemas, publishing database schema, generating reports, using templates, and leveraging code refactoring, you can enhance your productivity and ensure the stability of your database applications.

Give SSDT a try and experience the benefits it brings to your SQL Server development workflow!