better DB Design tools?

  • I am using Visual studio to design databases for applications / data warehousing rather than just using the SSMS designer like I did in the past, but now I really miss the ability to quickly see relationships etc from a diagram.  We are using visual studio Sqlproj so that we can get the benefits of using git, as well as use out automated deployment tools.  Are there any visual studio extensions that let  me view a diagram from the .sqlproj rather than from a database that has been deployed out?  I have tried a couple different tools, but pretty much everything seems to be based on a database that is deployed, not a sqlproj.

  • I'm guessing you're talking about a database modeling or entity relationship diagram (ERD) tool. I don't know of an extension for SSMS or Visual Studio, but there is a tool called Apex SQLModel. The free version is at least more featured than the one baked into SSMS, and the licensed version is impressive. It can build a model from an existing database, but I don't think it will build a model from a VS project.

    https://www.apexsql.com/sql-tools-model.aspx

     

    "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho

  • This is what I am using

    Eric M Russell wrote:

    I'm guessing you're talking about a database modeling or entity relationship diagram (ERD) tool. I don't know of an extension for SSMS or Visual Studio, but there is a tool called Apex SQLModel. The free version is at least more featured than the one baked into SSMS, and the licensed version is impressive. It can build a model from an existing database, but I don't think it will build a model from a VS project.

    https://www.apexsql.com/sql-tools-model.aspx

    This is what I am using now, I am just annoyed that refreshing it from the database gets rid of all my gorupings / color codings, annotations, etc.

  • Steven.Grzybowski wrote:

    I am using Visual studio to design databases for applications / data warehousing rather than just using the SSMS designer like I did in the past, but now I really miss the ability to quickly see relationships etc from a diagram.  We are using visual studio Sqlproj so that we can get the benefits of using git, as well as use out automated deployment tools.  Are there any visual studio extensions that let  me view a diagram from the .sqlproj rather than from a database that has been deployed out?  I have tried a couple different tools, but pretty much everything seems to be based on a database that is deployed, not a sqlproj.

    I don't know about VS but... MS removed the tool from the RTM of SSMS 18 and then, at the request of hundreds of people on the MS Feedback site and a whole lot of bad-press blog articles, MS brought it back.  It's not a sophisticated tool, but it works great for the kind of stuff I do.  It's also available in all revs of SSMS 17.

     

    IIRC, Quest has a free tool you can download, as well.  I don't care for it as much because it IS a separate tool but it works well enough for some folks at least for pictorially seeing what's related to what for troubleshooting and some design reasons.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Um, it isn't a VS extension, it's standalone but have you considered ModelRight? Not sure exactly why you're developing the DB in VS but ModelRight has a large number of advantages including the ability to both document, design, and round-trip the DB that I find invaluable.

    Just a suggestion.

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