DevConnections bound...

I just wanted to drop a note here to let both of my readers know that I'll be heading off to DevConnections in  Las Vegas Nov 5 - 8, 2007.  Well, actually I'll be at the "Visual Studio & .NET" sub-conference, but I fully intend to pop into sessions in the "Sql Server", "ASP.NET", and possibly "SharePoint" sub-conferences as well. 

This conference is like a developer-dream.  Seven conferences (including DotNetNuke OpenForce'07) held under one roof with all-access privs!  Now if it only had a beer-volcano (click on volcano) it would truly be Heaven!

Now to the real reason for this post.  If you happen to be attending this conference and wish to get together for a beer (volcano-sized or just a pint), drop me a comment and we can work out a rendezvous one evening.

- Steve

VSTS for Database Professionals: Power Tools v1.0 released

Gert Drapers has announced the release of the first edition of Power Tools for VSTS DBPro.  There is a prior post that discusses each of the tool's features in greater detail.

• Dependency Viewer
• Refactoring
  • Move Schema
  • Expand Wildcard
  • Fully Quality Name
  • Refactor in to strongly typed DataSet definitions
  • Refactor Command Generator
• Data Generation
  • Sequential Data Bound Generator
  • Editors for the Data Bound Generator, Sequential Data Bound Generator and RegEx String Generator to make configuration easier
  • The RegEx editor also tries to interpret your CHECK CONSTRAINTs and create a matching RegEx expression that you can use to generate data values that match the constraint definition
  • The RegEx editor can also be used for interactively defining and testing RegEx expressions and evaluate the output visually, which makes it a lot easier to create the right RegEx expression for your value domain.
• MSBuild Tasks
  • SqlSchemaCompareTask; allows you to compare schemas between two database from the command line using MSBuild.
  • SqlDataCompareTask; allows you to compare the content of tables within two databases from the command line using MSBuild.
• T-SQL Static Code Analysis
•  Miscellaneous tools
  • SQL script pre-processor command-line utility, which will expand all SQLCMD includes and variable definitions (sqlspp.exe)
• Schema Manager API                     

                                                                                                                     - Gert Drapers

I've pared down Gert's list to show highlight a couple of items that I really look forward to using. 

1. The RegEx editor's ability to review a CHECK CONSTRAINT and build you a RegEx to generate appropriate data values is a godsend for those of us that are "regular expression challenged."
2. The SqlSchemaCompareTask would be extremely useful during a continuous integration build to check the schema of a "reference database" to one that was deployed during the build as part of the Build Verification Tests (BVTs).  Differences could be flagged and noted in the build log which could be indicative of a schema change that was not checked in.
3. The SqlDataCompareTask is a great tool for use during automated acceptance testing.  After checking the schema of the deployed database against a reference database, you can check the deployed data against the test-reference data to ensure consistency between test runs.
4. T-SQL Static Code Analysis is a hidden gem in this list.  As Gert put it, "[...] it build on top of our ability that we fully understand all object definitions and relationships, which allows us to perform cross cutting analysis over your schema. For example we can detect that a column is defined as an INT, a variable of a stored procedure as REAL and that you are assigning the column value to the variable, therefore incurring the cost of an implicit conversion."  For developers that aren't full-time DBAs, this is a way to keep us from shooting our selves in the performance-foot as well as help us learn better techniques.  Like FxCop, this analysis engine is configurable and you can set the rule violation to be either Warnings or Errors.

Dev Resources: Plaster your cube with posters

I recently came across a blog post by Willy-Peter Schaub (Team System MVP) announcing new posters about "Team System BPA" and "Orcas Top Seven Wonders".   While looking over the posters I realized that Willy-Peter and colleagues have created a number of useful and informative posters at their DRP (developer readiness program) site on topics from TFS to Sharepoint Workflow to PowerShell.  With 96 posters available, I'm sure you will find one or more that are useful to you right away.  I noted a few that would be helpful in explaining TFS processes to team members and non-technical users alike.

Site access is free, but you will have to register to download the high-resolution files (PDF, JPG).  If you have a plotter available, you can print these babies up super-sized and plaster them all over the walls!

Posters link: http://www.drp.co.za/Media/Posters/tabid/73/Default.aspx

- Steve

Visual Studio Team System 2008 Beta 2 Available on MSDN Downloads

Just a quick FYI on a sweltering Saturday in New England.  Microsoft has pushed VPC and installation DVDs of Visual Studio Team System 2008 Beta 2 to the MSDN Downloads.  So go get it, have some fun, stay in the A/C and keep cool.

- Steve