SQL Server Database Comparison

[Stuart Ferguson]

I am currently in the process of making changes to an application using
a SQL Server database and have made changes to a development copy of the
live database which includes changing and adding columns to tables and
updating stored procedures.

I was wondering if anyone knew of any free software that could produce
at least a list of the changes between the databases and possibly a
script to allow for easy updating of the live database.


*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***

[David Portas]

Re: SQL Server Database Comparison

Don't get me started on free software. There is of course no such thing.

Red-Gate SQL Compare is one product that does what you want. It's free to
download on trial.

http://www.red-gate.com/SQL_Compare.htm

--
David Portas
SQL Server MVP
--

[Stuart Ferguson]

Re: SQL Server Database Comparison


Pity that a free product does not exist :(

Is this the best one to use or are better products available?

Stuart


*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***

[Martijn Tonies]

Re: SQL Server Database Comparison

> I am currently in the process of making changes to an application using[color=blue]
> a SQL Server database and have made changes to a development copy of the
> live database which includes changing and adding columns to tables and
> updating stored procedures.
>
> I was wondering if anyone knew of any free software that could produce
> at least a list of the changes between the databases and possibly a
> script to allow for easy updating of the live database.[/color]

It's not free, but our tool, Database Workbench, includes a Schema
Compare tool as well: www.upscene.com/products/dbw/


--
With regards,

Martijn Tonies
Database Workbench - tool for InterBase, Firebird, MySQL, Oracle & MS SQL
Server
Upscene Productions

http://www.upscene.com

[Malcolm]

Re: SQL Server Database Comparison

Hi Stuart,

What is better depends on your needs/goals and, as far as comparing and
upgrading databases goes, a matter of testing products for yourself.
My company has a tool called DB Ghost (www.dbghost.com) that can not
only compare and synchronise databases (which it does very well) but
can build them from a full set of drop/create scripts (that describe
every object) held in your source control system.

What this means is that you can use check out/check in to modify, say,
a table create script. If you wanted to add a column you simply
include it in the create statement. This, in turn, means that your
'source' database becomes the set of drop/create scripts which allows
you to baseline and release your code directly from source control.
This is an amazingly powerful concept that, currently, no one else
provides.

DB Ghost builds a brand new database from the drop/create scripts and
then uses that as the source for a compare and upgrade of your real
target database. This gives you a target database that EXACTLY matches
a set of audited and baselined scripts in your source control system.

As a developer you simply use the source control system for database
code changes in the same manner that you would for any other
application code change. A simple process is one that is more likely
to be followed and the DB Ghost Process is simple, powerful and
guaranteed to give you a full audit trail of your changes, who, when,
why and what.

Regs,

Malc

[Stu]

Re: SQL Server Database Comparison

It's not really free, but if you have access to Visual SourceSafe, you
can script your databases out to a project (using the SQL-DMO object
model) and do diff files that way. We do this at our office, since we
don't have a large budget for SQL development/administration.

Other solutions are probably better, but this works.

Stu