Your Opinion? New "ReSharper" tool for SQL Server
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Need to modify your Database Objects without breaking dependent Applications?
Or enforce Naming Conventions and Design Patterns automatically to your whole Database on a click?Introducing AppDB.Studio, a Free "ReSharper" tool for Microsoft Databases.
Features:
- Naming Convention
- Repair & Diagnostics
- Object Deprecation
- Templates
- Refactorings
- Tools & MetricsWhat do you think? What features would you most like to see in such a tool?
(dislaimer: I'm the founder of SQLNext Software and I'm interested in adjusting our offering to potential customer needs) -
Just sayin', but wouldn't the continued use of such a product create a dangerous dependency that's probably worse than violation of naming standards or other needs that would normally dictate a database object change? Aren't you effectively pushing the problem off into a cubby hole and making yourself dangerously dependent on said cubby hole? I'd be afraid to adopt it because if it ever broke, I'd be up you know what creek without any means of making it work.
Steve (aka sgmunson) 🙂 🙂 🙂
Rent Servers for Income (picks and shovels strategy) -
Thanks Steve for the feedback!
As demonstrated in the Demo Video, AppDB.Studio is basically a SQL script generator that aims to standardize how developers build Databases, fixing forgotten FKs or naming conventions, helping refactor Models, etc. So users do have the means to fix any issues should they come up, it's all in the generated SQL scripts and nothing's hidden.
Yes, our tool could break or have bugs, but I don't think that's reason enough to stop building tools for people. We'd fix issues and move on. Microsoft's own tools are not exactly bug-free.... 😉
Consider this:
According to last week's RedGate's Blog article, "76% of developers are now responsible for both application and database development", by our experience that mostly means that Web Devs build databases nowadays. Unchecked, we think that's the real danger. Right now, there's no tool on the market that helps the "Occasional" Database Developer apply good practices, and that's what we're committed to provide for them.
What do you think?
If you still feel there's a danger to fear here, could you detail it a bit more? - ethouin 94797 - Thursday, September 13, 2018 10:15 AM
I don't have time for a product demo at the moment, but I would have to believe that the claim to "change database objects without breaking dependent applications" seems a tad strong and might just rely on creating synonyms, which has it's own set of risks. However it's done, that product, on it's own, doesn't provide the expertise to understand the scripts it generates, or the consequences of implementing same, and potentially places such less skilled personnel in a much less good position of having implemented something they don't understand and might not have the skill to fix....
Steve (aka sgmunson) 🙂 🙂 🙂
Rent Servers for Income (picks and shovels strategy) -
Thank you for your opinion!
I hope you find the time to look at the demo and get informed about what the product does.
Any constructive criticism is always appreciated. -
Anyone else with constructive suggestions?
- sgmunson - Thursday, September 13, 2018 9:15 AM
I don't want to get into whether or not this tool is good (it's a direct competitor to Redgate tools, so... you're on your own as to what features you should add or improve, sorry), but I will say, you have a bit of a point about becoming dependent on a tool. However, the key point is not the dependency. It's the efficiency that you get from it. I mean, if you use our SQL Change Automation tool (no links, I'll play nice), you're building a dependency around that tool, yes, but you're gaining massive improvements in your ability to deploy databases, faster, safer, more frequently... I'm not seeing a problem here. Same thing goes if you get a monitoring tool, or anything other than ONLY EVER building your own stuff. While I'm a huge advocate for people knowing how SQL Server works, I'm also quite lazy and if a tool can make my job, my life, easier, I want it.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore RooseveltAuthor of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning -
Nice arguments there GF, thanks! Two points I'd like to make:
1) We're absolutely not positioning ourselves as direct competitors to RedGate. We're huge RedGate fans and users ourselves and we're actively avoiding features they already have made (or planning to do) and Product spaces they occupy. It's precisely because Redgate, Apex and others don't have Application Developers-Oriented products that we have had to build one. Not to mention that we've been in positive contact with RedGate staff about our tools. The closest we've seen is the Renaming feature of SQLPrompt, and while it does a perfect job of single-structure renaming, we do mass renaming for Naming Convention application purposes only.
2) We've built AppDB.Studio as basically a customizable SQL Code Generator and a productivity tool. The reason is we've noticed that by forcing users to see the SQL scripts, the tool kinda acts like a SQL tutorial for good practices. We found that Application Developers aren't generally intested in manually programming SQL, and love tools like Entity Framework that does that for them. With AppDB.Studio, they get to learn new SQL approaches while at the same time being coached in the best way to build their Database.
We're really psyched about helping the SQL Server Developer community align with Application Developers on some common ground practices and features. Challenging, but not impossible... 🙂
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Really? I'll check in with my guys. I might have some suggestions then.
My point still stands though. I know I'm dependent on SQL Prompt because I remember less of the syntax than I would have I had to remember it. However, I'm also much more efficient because of SQL Prompt, so the one more than makes up for the other in my mind.
And, that point was made in support of you and your work, not against it in any way.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore RooseveltAuthor of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning -
Understood. We just want to help as much as we can.
Contact me directly for any more information (Private Message or LinkedIn), I'll be happy to oblige.
Thanks!
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