SQL Server Data Tools – Core Features

Model your database schema as a Database Project. Benefit from source‑control integration, refactoring, and schema comparison.

dotnet new sqlproj -n MyDatabase
dotnet build MyDatabase.sqlproj

Identify differences between a project and a target database or DACPAC and generate update scripts.

// Using Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac.Compare
var comparer = new SchemaComparison(source, target);
var diff = comparer.Compare();
Console.WriteLine(diff.GenerateScript());

• Visual Studio Code extension for lightweight editing.
• Azure DevOps pipelines for continuous integration.
• GitHub Actions templates for automated deployments.

Set breakpoints, step through stored procedures, and watch variable values directly from Visual Studio.

Rename objects, extract scripts, and update dependent objects automatically.

• Rename Table → Updates all foreign keys.
• Extract Procedure → Creates reusable components.

Deploy a DACPAC to any SQL Server or Azure SQL instance with a single command.

sqlpackage /Action:Publish /SourceFile:MyDatabase.dacpac /TargetConnectionString:"Server=myserver;Database=mydb;Integrated Security=true"