ApexSQL Doc 2019 – Screen shot tour

The ApexSQL Doc installation wizard is a simple 3-step task.

The first step of the installation is a welcome screen of the ApexSQL Doc wizard:

ApexSQL Doc installation

In this step, users can review the Software Transaction Agreement:

Software Transaction Agreement

The next installation step allows users to choose the installation folder and option for creating a desktop icon:

ApexSQL Doc installation wizard

In the next installation step, the user will be given the option to select one or more hosts e.g. SSMS for add-in integration:

ApexSQL Doc can be integrated into SQL Server Management Studio and Visual Studio

The final step confirms finishing of the installation and allows users to directly run ApexSQL Doc from here:

ApexSQL Doc

The ApexSQL Doc main menu consists of the following two tabs: Home and Resources.

The Home tab consists of three sections: Projects, Actions, and Tools.

The Home tab contains options related to:

  • Open a New project
  • Open a saved project file
  • Edit project file
  • Save project file
  • Save as automaton script is used to save projects as a batch file or PowerShell script in order to automate the process

Open, Edit or Save project with ApexSQL Doc

The Actions tab contain actions boutons which allow:

  • Add database engine
  • Add database snapshot is used to add existing database snapshot
  • Add server add SQL server
  • Add SSIS package add an Integration service packages
  • Add SSAS model add an Analysis services server
  • Add SSRS item add Reporting services items
  • Add Tableau site add Tableau server site
  • Add SharePoint farm add a SharePoint farm
  • Generate documentation
  • Create database snapshot is used to create a snapshot from database

SSIS, SSRS, SSAS can be documented with the SQL Database documentation tool

The Tools tab contains options related to:

  • Extended property editor is used to Add, Update and Drop Extended properties
  • Options is used to edit application (General, Output and Shortcuts)
  • Defaults open the project default settings diagram

Extended property editor options

The second panel is Resources. Resources contains all options which allow users to get in touch with Quest support teams and to handle service and support related tasks:

ApexSQL Doc Resources tab

The main window of ApexSQL Doc:

The main window for SQL database documentation tool

Database engine tab with connected SQL Servers and databases:

SQL Server connection form:

Add SQL Server

Server objects tab is used for including server objects in the documentation along with optional server properties:

Server objects can be documented using ApexSQL Doc

Database options tab is used for selecting database documentation options and details:

Database options for documentation

The second part of the database option tab with additional database documentation settings like:

  • Extended properties options
  • Data model diagrams
  • Graphical dependencies options

Dependency options

Database objects tab is used for including specific settings for all database objects:

Selecting database objects to document

Database objects tab is also used for including specific database objects which can even be filtered:

Filtering objects

Database objects filter editor:

Filter editor for ApexSQL Doc

Integration services tab with connected SSIS packages from various data sources like:

  • SSIS project file
  • File system
  • SSIS package store
  • SSISDB catalog
  • SQL Server

SQL Server Integration Services can be documented

Integration service connection form, the option for adding SSIS packages from the file system:

Document SSIS package files from the file system

Integration service connection form, using the option for adding SSIS packages from the SSIS package store:

Document SSIS packages from the package store

Integration service connection form, using the option for adding SSIS packages from SQL Server:

SSIS packages from the SQL server can be documented using  SQL Database documentation tool

Integration service connection form, using the option for adding SSIS packages from SSISDB catalog:

SSISDB catalog

Integration service connection form, using the option for adding SSIS packages from the SSIS project file:

Load SSIS packages from the project file

Package details tab is used for selecting SSIS documentation details:

SSIS package details

Analysis services tab with connected Multidimensional and Tabular SSAS servers and databases:

Documenting SSAS with SQL Database documentation tool

Analysis services server connection form:

Connect to the SSAS Server using a documenting tool

SSAS database details tab is used for selecting SSAS documentation details with divided Multidimensional and Tabular sections:

Multidimensional and Tabular settings in the ApexSQL Doc

Reporting services tab with connected SSRS items from various data sources like:

  • File system
  • SharePoint web service
  • Native web service

SQL Server Reporting Services can be documented using ApexSQL Doc

Reporting services connection form, using the option for adding SSRS items from the file system:

Document SSRS from the file system using documenting tool

Reporting services connection form, using the option for adding SSRS items from Native web service:

Native web services

Reporting services connection form, using the option for adding SSRS items from SharePoint web service:

SharePoint web service

Reporting services details tab is used for selecting SSRS documentation details with divided Report items and Shared item sections:

Report items and Shared items options for documenting SSRS items

Tableau server tab with connected Tableau server items from the following data sources:

  • Tableau online
  • Tableau Server

Tableau server

Tableau online and Tableau server details tab is used for selecting Site details:

Site details for documentation

Tableau server connection form:

Add Tableau server connection form documenting tool

Tableau online connection form:

Add tableau server to document with the SQL documentation tool

SharePoint farm:

Document SharePoint farm

File format tab is used for selecting the desired documentation output file format. Available file formats are CHM, HTML, MARKDOWN, DOC, DOCX, and PDF:

Output file formats for documenting SQL databases

Styles tab is used for customizing documentation look by choosing one of the three predefined styles or a custom CSS stylesheet:

Styles settings for the SQL documentation

Custom text tab is used for setting up custom documentation text settings like:

  • Documentation header and footer options
  • Custom image/logo settings

Font settings for the SQL database documentation tool

The Naming tab is used for setting documentation title and file name templates:

Title and File name for documentation of the SQL databases

The Extended property editor is used for adding or editing database object descriptions using the extended properties that are stored in a SQL Server database:

Extended property editor window in the ApexSQL Doc

Application options

Click on the Options button in the Home tab to change General, Output and Shortcuts options.

General tab in the Options window is used for setting up documentation copyright details and selecting the desired GUI theme of ApexSQL Doc:

Copyright and Theme can be defined in the documentation tool

Output tab in the Options window is used for managing file output options:

Output setting for ApexSQL Doc

Shortcuts tab in the Options window is used for setting up shortcut key combinations for the main actions in ApexSQL Doc:

Shortcuts for the ApexSQL Doc

Project defaults window is used for setting up documentation default options. Project defaults tab is divided into multiple tabs, so the custom default settings for each new project can be set:

Project defaults  for SQL Database documentation tool

The Edit options from the Home ribbon tab is used to edit current project.

General:

Edit project options

Output:

Output settings for the ApexSQL Doc

“Save as batch” menu is used for creating a customizable batch file which can be later used for automating the documentation process:

Save project as batch file

Documentation progress bar:

progress bar for the documentation

Documenting objects using the SQL Documentation tool

Generate documentation for the SQL database

The main menu of ApexSQL Doc add-in for SQL Server Management Studio:

The SQL Database documentation tool can be integrated into SQL Server Management Studio

Object Explorer context menu with actions for ApexSQL Doc in SQL Server Management Studio:

Create documentation from the SQL Server Management Studio

 

January 9, 2020