August 4, 2017 at 8:42 am
I created a SQL script archiving, storage, and sharing utility. Decided to release it today for beta testing. Some features I have disabled for the time being...such as setting user preferences, saving results to table/csv/excel, port numbers, MySQL, etc. Going to wait and see how this goes first.
Anyway...if someone feels like living on the edge a little bit I would love for them to give this a try. I like the tool...but that doesn't mean anyone else will. It gives you easy access to your scripts..and could see DBAs using it instead of installing sprocs on master...trainers..reporting people...etc. may find it useful as well.
Thanks.....Jeff
August 4, 2017 at 2:01 pm
Was just looking at the application and I am a little confused about it.
At the moment, I am not sure how this is much different than just having a folder in windows to store my SQL scripts.
Plus some of the limitations of the software sound quite... well, limiting. Like that you can only return 1 result set and that running a query will lock up the application until the query completes.
Reading your information on the tool, it sounds to me like this is more of an open alpha release than a beta release.
It feels like a good start to the application, kind of like a free, more limited version of RedGate's multiscript.
It looks interesting, and I'm curious to see further development of the tool. I did not install it, I just looked at it on your website. I do not have Windows 10 on my work computer (I imagine a lot of people don't actually), so that is a big limiting factor for me.
The above is all just my opinion on what you should do.
As with all advice you find on a random internet forum - you shouldn't blindly follow it. Always test on a test server to see if there is negative side effects before making changes to live!
I recommend you NEVER run "random code" you found online on any system you care about UNLESS you understand and can verify the code OR you don't care if the code trashes your system.
August 4, 2017 at 5:52 pm
Bmg002.............
Thanks for the input... I think your description of an open alpha test is more accurate so I 'll make some changes to my site to reflect that. Also like the fact you read some of the site...such as the Limiting factors. Been in the industry too long and do not want to BS anyone.
I am not familiar w/ Redgate's multiscript *(see my post script 🙂 . Going to check it out. After I had an older working version of this I did find Redgate's Script Manager which has some similarities. Also found Razor SQL which looks impressive, but it is a completely different type of tool.
I created this using Windows Forms instead of the newer WPF format hoping that I could get it to run on Windows 7 as well. Still plenty of Windows 7 in large corporations. Hopefully I can get it tested on one someday. I think the .Net version will be the most limiting factor. I can always compile to an older .Net version and my tool honestly isn't worth upgrading the .Net version for.
This app was created to help me build a database monitoring tool. Once I started using it I found that I really liked it so I started to dress it up a little. The app only has one 'query' window so it locks up just like SSMS would. The locking up of the app will change eventually and came close to having it cleanly work at one point. It's a bit of a sticking point for me too. It's basically a storage, sharing, and archiving tool. What I love about it is the up and down arrow functionality; every script at your fingertips. I put shortcut keys in there like SSMS as well since that is something I have used a lot in the past.
Post Script: Looked up Redgate's Multiscript.... Lol... A long time ago I sat in a room w/ cameras on me going through this tool offering advise and opinions! It was at a Pass conference. I had something similar written in dos commands at the time that I would pass parameters too.
August 4, 2017 at 5:56 pm
bmg002 - Friday, August 4, 2017 2:01 PMWas just looking at the application and I am a little confused about it.At the moment, I am not sure how this is much different than just having a folder in windows to store my SQL scripts.
Plus some of the limitations of the software sound quite... well, limiting. Like that you can only return 1 result set and that running a query will lock up the application until the query completes.Reading your information on the tool, it sounds to me like this is more of an open alpha release than a beta release.
It feels like a good start to the application, kind of like a free, more limited version of RedGate's multiscript.It looks interesting, and I'm curious to see further development of the tool. I did not install it, I just looked at it on your website. I do not have Windows 10 on my work computer (I imagine a lot of people don't actually), so that is a big limiting factor for me.
I also have a really impressive editor I can put in the tool. I've tested with it and may someday put it in there. Comes from a company out of the Ukraine and has a yearly license fee. If there is buy-in with this utility then I may purchase the editor. For now I am working my way through w/ Scintilla.
August 8, 2017 at 9:25 am
If you have an MSDN license, you could just spin up a windows 7 VM for testing it. Since you didn't use WPF, I can't think why it wouldn't work in anything older. Pretty sure windows 7 even supports .NET 4.5 and 4.6 so you should be good there.
As for putting a 3rd party licensed software bundled with yours, I imagine that would violate the EULA. My opinion, I wouldn't force end users to use a special editor with your tools. It will get messy very quickly.
As for other tools, if you are planning on selling this application, I would be very careful. If you wrote this at your workplace, they may own the rights to the tool. If you wrote it with knowledge you gained from your workplace, they may own the rights to the tool. You should go through your contract to ensure you aren't going to get screwed over if you try to sell it.
The other issue with selling the tool will be ensuring you are capable of handling it. That is, if I buy the software and it takes me more than an hour to get the license, I am an unhappy customer. If I use the tool and it breaks something (runs against the wrong database NOT due to an error in use on my part for example), my company could try to sue you. Is that something you are prepared for? On the other hand, if your license says that I use the software at my own risk AND I'm paying for it, it is very unlikely that I would buy the software.
Or what happens if at 2:00 AM (your time) the software breaks and I call for support? Do you have a large enough team to handle 24/7 support? If not, you will lose business from all major corporations. Personally, I write all my scripts in SSMS as it has nice intellisence and redgate's sql prompt fills in the gaps with intellisense AND it is a freely available tool for editing SQL scripts. A paid tool would have to have some incredible feature before I'd pay any money for it.
Speaking of spending money, what in your tool makes it "better" than the freely available tools? May want to put up a feature comparison on your website too. This will attract others to your software if they can see why your tool is better than your competitors.
The above is all just my opinion on what you should do.
As with all advice you find on a random internet forum - you shouldn't blindly follow it. Always test on a test server to see if there is negative side effects before making changes to live!
I recommend you NEVER run "random code" you found online on any system you care about UNLESS you understand and can verify the code OR you don't care if the code trashes your system.
August 8, 2017 at 9:38 am
bmg002 - Tuesday, August 8, 2017 9:25 AMIf you have an MSDN license, you could just spin up a windows 7 VM for testing it. Since you didn't use WPF, I can't think why it wouldn't work in anything older. Pretty sure windows 7 even supports .NET 4.5 and 4.6 so you should be good there.As for putting a 3rd party licensed software bundled with yours, I imagine that would violate the EULA. My opinion, I wouldn't force end users to use a special editor with your tools. It will get messy very quickly.
As for other tools, if you are planning on selling this application, I would be very careful. If you wrote this at your workplace, they may own the rights to the tool. If you wrote it with knowledge you gained from your workplace, they may own the rights to the tool. You should go through your contract to ensure you aren't going to get screwed over if you try to sell it.
The other issue with selling the tool will be ensuring you are capable of handling it. That is, if I buy the software and it takes me more than an hour to get the license, I am an unhappy customer. If I use the tool and it breaks something (runs against the wrong database NOT due to an error in use on my part for example), my company could try to sue you. Is that something you are prepared for? On the other hand, if your license says that I use the software at my own risk AND I'm paying for it, it is very unlikely that I would buy the software.
Or what happens if at 2:00 AM (your time) the software breaks and I call for support? Do you have a large enough team to handle 24/7 support? If not, you will lose business from all major corporations. Personally, I write all my scripts in SSMS as it has nice intellisence and redgate's sql prompt fills in the gaps with intellisense AND it is a freely available tool for editing SQL scripts. A paid tool would have to have some incredible feature before I'd pay any money for it.
Speaking of spending money, what in your tool makes it "better" than the freely available tools? May want to put up a feature comparison on your website too. This will attract others to your software if they can see why your tool is better than your competitors.
Some excellent points brought up! Never thought about spinning up the VM. My windows machine isn't powerful enough (I think), but I could on my Mac. Interesting twist.
I am thinking this is free for now. If I end up putting a lot more work into it with added features then yeah, I may start asking for a return on my time. Nothing was done in in a place where I work nor does the idea come from a place where I worked. But all valid points! The code has never sat on a work computer.
Rofl...on the support. Oh, I have thought about that. Have it out in an old blog post. Liability is an issue too...one of the reasons why the version I have available for download does not have the ability to access a database w/ SQL Authentication. I believe it is solid...but not taking a chance.
This script storage utility is actually part of another tool I am building. I just pulled it out so it could be shared independently. That other 'tool' is a monitoring and management tool and I would support that. We'll see...time is an issue too. Love all of the points you brought up and they are very spot on!
August 8, 2017 at 9:42 am
Honestly think the best thing for this tool would be to make it into a plug-in for SSMS. Would have to change how it works underneath and pull out the database as the central repository. You can use the SQL Prompt templates to do what some of what this does too.
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