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ApexSQL Blog Product announcements, promotions and other ApexSQL news SQL readability basics – Part 1: Capitalization and object naming Many development teams spend an inordinate amount of time arguing over styling and formatting preferences. Although these preferences are often subjective, at the end the code should be consistent. Since styling comes up frequently during code reviews, it's a good idea to have a strategy in place for dealing with it. This article series will address several formatting strategies as well as provide examples that demonstrate different ways you can format your code in ApexSQL Refactor. Let’s begin with capitalization and object naming Labels: ApexSQL, ApexSQL Refactor, Articles, Support team ...Why We Developed ApexSQL Comply - Part II As we have seen in the 1st part of this article, in order to solve the overarching problem of easy compliance, we had to solve many different problems main of which were:
In this 2nd part of this article, we will go deeper into solutions that we applied to each of these problems Labels: ApexSQL Comply, Management team ...Why We Developed ApexSQL Comply - Part I ApexSQL has a long history in SQL Server auditing space with two tools that either prepare databases for auditing, or actually perform auditing. ApexSQL Audit automates creation of triggers (among other things) that track data modifications on selected tables, while ApexSQL Log reads the database transaction log, extracting data modifications from it. Both of these tools show who-did-what, achieving it in different ways, with their own relative strengths and weaknesses. But these tools also lack the means to satisfy stringent regulations on data access (including who-saw-what), and out-of-the-box prevention from tampering, and that is why we built ApexSQL Comply: to make compliance with auditing regulations easy Labels: ApexSQL Comply, Management team ...ApexSQL Refactor – Splitting a table ApexSQL Refactor is a free SQL Server Management Studio and a Visual Studio add-in that provides numerous features for refactoring of SQL code and some of them will be described in the next several articles.This time we’ll focus on the Split table option - to split a database table into two tables by moving or copying columns from the original table into a new one Labels: ApexSQL Refactor, Support team ...Have up-to-date documentation using a timestamp Documenting a database is the best practice to ensure that the organizational schema, data objects, and other related information are captured for future reference, especially during its development. In case of frequent documentation due to constant database structure changes, it is crucial to have them organized in an accurate and chronological manner Labels: ApexSQL Doc, Support team ...ApexSQL Doc - Document SQL Server instance settings/objects A SQL Server has multiple instance-level settings and objects, depending on the version. These can have a significant effect on SQL Server’s behavior and performance, and it is important to keep track of their configuration or even document them, for that matter Labels: ApexSQL Doc, Support team ...Introducing ApexSQL Comply As part of our gearing toward the release of ApexSQL Comply beta, we will be releasing a series of posts addressing issues of why build another auditing tool, what new value it brings and how it achieves it. In the coming weeks we will be releasing posts with following abstracts: Labels: ApexSQL Comply, Management team ...ApexSQL Diff – Exporting data sources ApexSQL Diff has a feature that allows you to create a SQL Database snapshot, as well as using it for comparing and synchronizing with other sources. ApexSQL snapshots are binary files that represent database structure only, not the data. Snapshots created with ApexSQL Diff contain a complete record of a database structure
To create the snapshot using ApexSQL Diff: 
Chose Snapshot in the Export data source dialog, select the server and database from which you want to create the snapshot, and enter SQL server credentials 
When you press OK, the Save snapshot dialog will appear where you can set the snapshot name. The snapshot default name consist of {server name}_{database name}.axsnp. Extension .axsnp is a standard ApexSQL snapshot extension
The snapshot can be used in a comparison process with other data sources, or to create a deployment script. Since the SQL snapshot is designed as a read-only binary file, using the snapshot as the Destination will create a synchronization script that will update the database from which the snapshot was created. The snapshot file cannot be altered directly 
If used as the source, and a database, script folder or source control as the destination, the resulting synchronization script will update the destination that is synchronized with the snapshot. If you have to roll back changes you’ve made to a database, using the snapshot created before the changes were made as the source, and the database as the destination, will roll back any changes to the initial state. Snapshots are compatible across different versions of ApexSQL Diff; the snapshot created in ApexSQL Diff 2012 can be used in previous versions and vice versa Script folder exporting option allows you to export scripts that create the database structure - DDL scripts – into a folder. For each database object a corresponding script file is saved on the disk. If Subfolder is checked in the Mapping configuration dialog, every object type will have a subfolder where DDL files for this type are stored. If the Subfolder in unchecked, all the files will be stored in the specified folder
To create a script folder: The last exporting option is export to a Source control project. Source control systems are commonly used in teams where different people can change the same files. A number or letter code, termed the “revision number”, or simply “revision”, usually identifies changes. Each revision is associated with a timestamp and the user that made the change
To export to a source control project: Using the export functionality is not only a useful feature in ApexSQL Diff, but as you can see it was carefully designed to achieve simplicity and maximize the effectiveness Author Nikola Dimitrijevic Labels: ApexSQL Diff, Support team ...ApexSQL Build - Package scripts into C# projects and .NET executables For users that need to build deployment packages across environments either by using the C# project or .NET executable, ApexSQL Build offers an efficient way to accomplish this task in a few simple steps. This applies, for example, to situations where development changes to the structure and content of a production database need to be pushed as an upgrade Labels: ApexSQL Build, Support team ...ApexSQL Doc 2013 released Raleigh – May 8, 2013 - ApexSQL, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and major provider of Microsoft SQL Server solutions, today announced the release of ApexSQL Doc 2013. The new version fixes known issues from the previous version, introduces application log files that make troubleshooting easier, and more Labels: ApexSQL Doc, Press Releases ...Product update alert – ApexSQL Doc 2013 ApexSQL Doc 2013 has been released Type: New versionAbout ApexSQL Doc: ApexSQL Doc is a documenting tool for SQL Server instances, databases, objects and SSIS packages. It generates comprehensive documentation in a number of browsable and printable formats including CHM, HTML, HXS and Microsoft Word’s DOC and DOCX, and can automate and schedule the documentation process. For more information, visit the ApexSQL Doc product page Labels: ApexSQL Doc, Product Updates, Support team ...ApexSQL Clean – Fully body scan ApexSQL Clean has, among others, a useful feature that most people are not even aware of. It provides a client code analysis in C#, Delphi, VB.NET, XAML, XML, ASP.NET, HTML, CSS code etc., and detects which SQL objects are actually being used and which ones aren't in the referenced database. The code analysis is performed by inspecting the code file for objects in the SQL database Labels: ApexSQL Clean, Support team ...ApexSQL Recover - Recover data from a corrupted database or a detached MDF file We have previously discussed the recovery process of data lost due to executed DELETE statement. Recover from a corrupted database or a detached MDF file is a completely different recovery option that allows you to recover all of the tables and data using detached database data files Labels: ApexSQL Recover, Support team ...Features of ApexSQL Edit in various Add-Ins ApexSQL Edit, a standalone SQL Integrated development environment, has been discontinued in favor of ApexSQL add-ins for SQL Server Management Studio and Visual Studio. What this article will provide is a feature-wise mapping of ApexSQL Edit that has been incorporated via ApexSQL add-ins. Comparing to the latest version of ApexSQL Edit, our existing add-ins have updated engines, improved quality, and in many cases additional features. They are all under active development. Let’s quickly overview what these add-ins can do Labels: ApexSQL Complete, ApexSQL Edit, ApexSQL Profile, ApexSQL Refactor, ApexSQL Search, ApexSQL Version, Articles, Support team ...ApexSQL Doc – When you have a need for speed Some of ApexSQL Doc features are time-consuming but may be optional during SQL database documenting. Accordingly, we have grouped those documenting options in the Performance intensive options tab accordingly, allowing users to trade off speed of the documentation process with the level of detail in the documentation Labels: ApexSQL Doc, Support team ...ApexSQL Script – Create DDL and DML scripts for specific objects only ApexSQL Script is a SQL Server database migration tool which scripts database objects and data into a single or multiple deployment SQL scripts, .NET solutions, or executable installers. In many cases when moving a database, there’s no need to migrate the entire database, but only a part of it. ApexSQL Script offers you the possibility to select specific objects and have them included into a sample or testing script. It is even possible to combine multiple databases and extract objects form multiple databases at once Labels: ApexSQL Script, Support team ...ApexSQL Recover - Recover data lost due to a DELETE operation ApexSQL Recover is a recovery tool for SQL Server databases, which recovers deleted, truncated, corrupted, or damaged data. One of the featured recovery options is the Recover lost data due to a DELETE operation. It recovers data lost due to a malicious or accidental DELETE – such as data deleted due to an incorrect (or even worse - missing) WHERE clause Labels: ApexSQL Recover, Support team ...ApexSQL Build - Consolidate multiple SQL scripts into a single script Having multiple scripts and running them against a database can be demanding. Using ApexSQL Build with Consolidate scripts into a single script feature can turn this into a simple procedure, and more importantly, it can significantly decrease deployment time Labels: ApexSQL Build, Support team ...Maintaining an audit trail – ApexSQL Log results export ApexSQL Log is a transaction log reading tool which audits, reverts, or replays data and object changes that have affected a database including those that had occurred before it was installed. It restores damaged or missing data and objects and also captures information on the user, application, and host that made those changes Labels: ApexSQL Log, Articles, Support team ...ApexSQL to Microsoft MVPs and VIPs: “Your money is no good here”
As always, ApexSQL provides a free ticket to ride for all MVPs and SQL VIPs Stay tuned for more information! Follow @ApexSQL Labels: Management team, Marketing team, Promotions ...ApexSQL sponsors SQL user groups
Got a user group? Need pizza, SWAG? and free software? Then let’s talk Labels: Management team, Marketing team, Promotions ...Restore history in ApexSQL Restore ApexSQL Restore can attach native or natively compressed backups and backup sets created in SQL Server starting with version 2000, to any edition of SQL Server 2005, 2008 and 2012. This includes full and transaction log backups as well as differential backups. The backup set will be attached as a fully usable online database, which is accessible via SQL Server Management Studio, Visual Studio, or any other third-party tool, making ApexSQL Restore invaluable for continuous integration and testing environments, quickly reverting inadvertent or malicious changes and balancing heavy report loads Labels: ApexSQL Restore, Support team ...Community member of the week Each week we scan the webosphere for people sharing their love of our company, tools, service, support etc, track them down, and reward them with free gear. We ship hundreds of dollars in gear each month all over the world Labels: Management team, Marketing team, Promotions ...ApexSQL Diff 2012 vs. Red Gate SQL Compare 10 performance: the results are in (Part 2)
As seen in part 1 of this performance test,
ApexSQL Diff 2012 starts off much faster than its competitor, and here as well, this trend continues. See below how ApexSQL
Diff 2012 surpasses Red Gate SQL Compare 10
General tests
For the purpose of this test, a database with 100,000 objects was used against an empty database, which resulted in 100,000 different objects populated in the main grid. Time was measured from the moment the comparison process had completed until the main grid was populated and all objects displayed
Live databases, backup to live database, script folder to live database, and source control to live database tests were performed by the same principles. As it will be visible from the results, ApexSQL Diff 2012 performance optimization led to a clear advantage in favor of ApexSQL Diff 2012 in each of the four aforementioned tests The Complete comparison test involves the complete comparison process. It stars when the “Compare” button is clicked in the Project Settings form, up until all the results are populated in the main grid. The 100,000 object database was used and compared against itself, which resulted in 200,000 objects compared The Complete synchronization test involves the complete synchronization process. It stars when the “Synchronize” button is clicked in the Main application window, up until the application asks for the generated file to be stored locally. The 100,000 object database was used and synchronized with an empty database, which resulted in 100,000 synchronized objects The Complete process test involves both previously described tests. User experience often means performing the complete set of actions needed for database synchronization, not just comparison or synchronization. For the purpose of this test, the Complete comparison and the Complete synchronization test times were summed up
Author Nikola Dimitrijevic Labels: ApexSQL Diff, Support team ...FOLLOW us on TWITTER. Get FREE gear
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Labels: Management team, Marketing team, Promotions ...ApexSQL Diff 2012 vs. Red Gate SQL Compare 10 performance: the results are in (Part 1) In our most recent performance tests, along with ApexSQL Diff 2012, we included the same type of application made by one of our competitors. Both were run through the same tests, mounted side-by-side on the same test platform. We ran these performance tests as a part of the ongoing performance improvement efforts, since we understand that performance is a critical factor for customers using our software The test procedures and ApexSQL Diff 2012 test results were achieved by careful optimizations that created across-the-board improvements. In addition to improvements of core application components, high-performance subsystems are also included Labels: ApexSQL Diff, Support team ...ApexSQL Audit trigger Template editor – Customization As explained in the previous article one of the main features of ApexSQL Audit is the customization of templates used to generate triggers. The previous article has introduced the interface of Template editor and the template modularity. Now the focus will be on the actual trigger generating process Labels: ApexSQL Audit, Support team ...ApexSQL Audit trigger Template editor – Introduction The main feature of ApexSQL Audit is generation of triggers that capture and store data changes due to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. This and the next article will discuss some techniques to customize trigger creation ApexSQL Audit enables you to review and edit trigger creation script prior to its execution. Besides the possibility to modify the script that generates triggers, it is also possible to customize the template ApexSQL Audit used to generate them. By customizing the template all triggers generated in the future would already have the necessary customizations thus avoiding manual modifications Labels: ApexSQL Audit, Support team ...ApexSQL Audit 2013 released – Support for SQL Azure databases, improved performance, and more Raleigh – April 15, 2013 - ApexSQL, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and major provider of Microsoft SQL Server solutions, today announced the release of ApexSQL Audit 2013. The new version introduces auditing of SQL Azure databases, improved performance, and more Labels: ApexSQL Audit, Press Releases ...ApexSQL Edit Discontinued ApexSQL Edit, a standalone SQL Editor, has been discontinued in favor of standalone Add-ins for SQL Server Management Studio and Visual Studio We apologize for any inconvenience to existing customers. We are offering continued dedicated support and FREE migration paths to comparable tools, which in several cases are FREE for the life of the product Labels: ApexSQL Complete, ApexSQL Edit, ApexSQL Profile, ApexSQL Refactor, ApexSQL Search, ApexSQL Version, Management team, Marketing team ... |
